Through Lifetimes
by Cry-Pom
Summary: "I'll find him, one day; I swear I'm going to find him." One hundred years ago, a young boy made an promise, an oath to find his friend. He'll do anything to fulfill his promise. Anything, no matter what it takes. As such, nothing will ever be the same. Two-Shot. AU.
1. Part 1

Through Lifetimes

 **This is just a little – ok, not so little – twoshot that came to me while rewatching Avatar & introducing my friends to my favorite childhood show. I haven't seen much of Kora (only just started season 2) so if I missed anything from there… eh, oh well. **

**Anyway, hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Kuzon knew something was wrong long before Gyatzo showed up on his doorstep. He had known that something was wrong for weeks in fact - a strange almost undefinable feeling had settled in the pit of his stomach and never left.

He hadn't known what was wrong of course, only that something obviously was. Kuzon hadn't been sleeping, hadn't been eating. He could barely pay attention in class and had his parent's worried sick.

But he couldn't help it. He had just been worried. So he had sent letters out with the fastest hawks to everyone he knew; desperate for reassurance from his many friends across the globe that all was well.

No sooner had Bumi replied that Gyatzo showed up on his porch, bearing the news that Aang was missing.

Kuzon hadn't known whether to laugh or cry at the news. He was so relieved to finally _know_ and end the endless worry at the unknown – but now he had an all new pit of worry forming in his gut. Now he was worried about Aang, his best friend who was now missing.

Gyatzo explained what happened, how Aang was the avatar and that his friend had fled once the combined pressure and threat of his separation from Gyatzo became too much. They had no idea where the young avatar was. But that was just the beginning.

"What do you mean you aren't going to keep looking?!" Kuzon yelled, his fists clenched and his copper colored eyes alight with rage. How could Gyatzo just give up looking for the child he had raised?

"Exactly what I said." Gyatzo said calmly, folding his hands within the sleeves of his robes with all of his many years reflecting in his eyes. "The head monks sense great turmoil on the horizon. A darkness is gathering, and all nomads are being recalled to the Temples so that we may attempt – in one unified effort – to gain enlightenment from the spirits regarding this conflict."

Although Kuzon could see the pain in the old monk's eyes, he didn't care. He was too angry at the fact that Gyatzo was going to give up looking for Aang, and only after a few weeks as well!

"So you're going to go run away and pray on your mountain while Aang might be hurt or lost somewhere out there!?" Kuzon yelled, flames sparking into existence as he stomped his foot in anger. "If you really cared, you would keep looking!"

Gyatzo flinched, and at that moment, Kuzon's mother decided enough was enough and stepped in.

"Kuzon!" She scolded, coming to stand in-between the young firebender and airbending master. "You will not speak to Gyatzo like that! You know how much he cares for Aang." She narrowed her eyes at her son before sighing and continuing,

"I know you're worried about Aang, but you simply can't take it out on Gyatzo. It's not his fault Aang chose to run away, and it's not his fault that he has been ordered back to the temples. Now, I want you to apologize and then go straight to your room until dinner."

His mother's voice was stern, and Kuzon knew that arguing would be futile. Grinding his teeth together, he brought his hands together and bowed to Gyatzo.

"My apologies." He ground out before turning on his heal and storming towards his room.

Pausing just on the threshold, Kuzon gripped the doorframe tightly, burning a handprint into the wood.

"You might've given up on Aang. But I never will. I'll find him, one day; I swear I'm going to find him." The young firebender declared, before vanishing into his room, slamming the door behind him.

The remaining adults in the room simply watched, their hearts breaking for the young boy who had lost his friend, whom he would likely never see again.

"May the Spirits guide you, then." Gyatzo muttered, before bowing to Kuzon's mother and taking his leave.

Oh, if only he knew.

* * *

One Hundred Years Later

 _He was sitting on his front steps, his school uniform ruffled and his hair falling loose around his face. He was digging into the dirt with a long, scorched stick. Things hadn't been going well for him recently. Ever since that stupid monk had come by, his life had been once series of disasters after another._

 _He felt more alone than ever, and it reflected in everything he did. He was constantly being teased at school for his weak firebending, and gloomy behavior. Even when the comet had been burning brightly in the sky, his firebending was pathetic compared to some of his peers._

 _He knew that he would never be a firebending master, but surely he wasn't that pathetic at creating flames._

" _Kuzon!"_

 _The young boy looked up, seeing a few of his classmates poking their heads through his front gates._

" _What do you want?" He asked darkly, not wanting to be teased or beaten up again. Sure, these kids tended to just ignore him, but that didn't mean they hadn't changed their minds._

" _Have you heard? There's a messenger in the square! Apparently he brings news from the navy docks and Fire Lord Sozin himself!"One of the boys exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement. The whole nation had been wondering why the Fire Lord had gathered such a large fleet. Every single firebender of fighting age had been called to fight for their nation. But the reason for the summons had always been unknown._

 _If they were finally sharing the information now…_

 _Kuzon's stomach twisted in a mixture of dread and excitement._

" _Come on!" Another boy shouted, before scampering off with his friends._

 _Swallowing slowly, Kuzon ran after them. His mind spun with theories as his gut clenched in worry. But there wasn't anything to worry about… was there?_

" _Attention! Attention!" The boys found themselves at the town square, where everyone who could get away from work was packed together to hear the announcement. They pushed their way through the crowd, using their smaller statures to their advantage._

" _I bring great news from Fire Lord Sozin!" The man dressed in full Navy uniform declared for al to hear. "Two days ago, the Great Comet shown down upon us, granting us all a magnificent gift from the Spirits."_

 _Kuzon rolled his eyes, but stayed focused. Just because some believed that the Fire Nation was the best and the favored of the Spirits didn't mean that he did._

" _With our bending at its strongest, and the Spirits' blessing, Wise Fire Lord Sozin struck out against our greatest enemies! In one great coordinated attack, we struck against the Air Nomads who dared speak out against the Colonies! Hear me people, and rejoice! For the rebellious Air Nomads are no more!"_

 _The whole square started cheering, not once questioning the propaganda that was being fed to them._

' _Not that they ever questioned it before.' Kuzon thought bitterly to himself. It was Aang who had helped him see that colonizing the Earth Kingdom had been wrong, and see the truth behind the matter. But the Fire Nation had been fed propaganda against the Air Nomads for over a decade, and as hard as it was for the firebender to admit it, he knew that his nation wouldn't find fault in the genocide it had just committed._

 _Kuzon swayed his vision blurring as he suddenly felt sick._

' _Does that mean Gyatzo is dead?' Kuzon asked himself as his arms wrapped themselves around his stomach and he slowly slid to the ground. 'What about Aang? What if he had been there? What if he died?!'_

 _With that terrifying thought in his mind, Kuzon jumped to his feet, and pushed his way back through the crowd._

' _No, Aang was alright. He has to be alright. He's been missing, which meant that he wasn't at any of the Temples when they were attacked. Aang has to be fine, he must have survived. He was the Avatar…right?' Kuzon's thoughts rushed together in an almost incoherent string as he raced back home._

 _Grabbing his school sack, the thirteen year old threw his extra clothes in the bag before stealing some food from the pantry. A determined look came over his face as he darted out into the celebrating streets._

' _Let them cheer and party.' Kuzon thought to himself, his eyes dark and determined. 'I'm coming Aang. I'm coming.'_

* * *

Zuko rubbed his temples with a frustrated sigh as he stared at the large Fire Nation flag that adorned the wall in his cabin.

He hadn't been sleeping well the past few nights, and it had nothing to do with the two large bumps on his head that he had received from that annoying Water Tribe peasant.

Ok, maybe it had something to do with it. For ever since he had slipped beneath the icy water during the Avatar's escape and received those knocks to the head – first from that cursed boomerang and then the Avatar's staff – he had been … seeing things.

It had started off simple enough, just an odd dream featuring a young firebending boy who struggled with his lessons – reminding him of himself as a child, except the boy in his dreams had loving, supportive parents and didn't have a psychotic little sister to torment him.

It had been perfectly easy to brush off the odd dreams and random flashes as a result of wishful thinking and his annoying subconscious.

That was, until a certain twelve year old airbender started appearing in his odd dreams and visions.

Now Zuko was angry, and determined to rid himself of these dreams. Some of the boy's thoughts and actions danced on treason after all, and that was something the banished Prince wouldn't stand for.

He had no reason to be dreaming about the Avatar having Fire Nation friends. Especially in the perspective of said Fire Nation friend.

No, he had just been knocked on the head a bit harder than he had thought, that was all.

"It's just the after effect of the concussion." Zuko told himself, taking a deep breath and trying to push all thoughts regarding the Fire Nation boy to the darkest corner of his mind.

"It means nothing."

If only he could make himself believe that.

* * *

 _Kuzon gasped for breath as he pulled himself up onto the final ledge, but couldn't help the bright sense of pride, of joy, that filled him as he looked upon the familiar mountain top._

" _Aha!" He cheered, spinning around in a circle, his lips curving upwards into his first smile in months. He was finally here._

" _RROOOAAARRRR"_

 _A thunderous roar echoed through the air as the familiar green mother dragon threw herself out of her nest at the sound of an intruder._

 _Kuzon's eyes widened, but he instantly dropped down into a kneeling position, his forehead pressed against the stony earth. He felt rather than saw the dragon land in front of him, and just managed to gain his courage to look up at the mother dragon._

 _The being was larger than the boy remembered, but didn't dare let his fear control him. He had to find Aang, no matter what it took._

" _Noble Dragon," Kuzon said, looking up and meeting the green dragon's gaze dead on. "I come here asking for your help. Months ago, my friend and I were able to save your egg. I don't try to pretend that you owe us anything, since you didn't eat us I think we're even…"_

 _Kuzon gulped, realizing that he was rambling and got his thoughts back together, his eyes now locked onto the ground beneath him. "But I need your help. My friend, the airbender who was with me, is missing. I think something's happened to him, and I need to find him. Not because he's the Avatar – though he is – but because he's my friend. Please, Noble Dragon, help me find my friend."_

 _Silence stretched out after Kuzon's speech, eventually broken by a loud snort of flames from the dragon, scorching the back of Kuzon's head. But Kuzon didn't move. He wasn't going to leave without the dragon's help. He had no other way to look for his friend, especially now that everyone believed the Air Nomads dead._

 _Kuzon could hear the beating wings of the dragon as she left, but still refused to move. He wasn't going anywhere. The dragon would either have to eat him, help him, or let him just die there on the mountain top, because he wasn't leaving._

 _Three days passed in that fashion. The mother dragon would growl and blow flames near the boy whenever she left her nest, but Kuzon didn't move, he only begged for her help. He didn't move from his kneeling position when his bladder threatened to burst or when his throat burned with thirst. He didn't move as rain soaked his clothing and the sun scorched his neck._

 _He stayed there, not moving, only pleading, until finally his world went black._

* * *

Zuko had been uneasy all day long. He had more dreams last night, and even now he could feel the visions of the strange boy who knelt before dragons dancing at the edges of his vision. He worried that he would blink and find himself once again looking out from the eyes of the strange firenation child that was haunting him.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason. Zuko was worried that one of his men would let slip that they had actually found the Avatar and that it would get back to Zhao, or worse, his father. Zuko was under no illusions, he knew that once his father discovered that the Avatar was alive, Zuko would have to fight every firebender alive not only to capture him, but for the right to hand him over to his father as well.

'Not that dealing with Zhao is helping. In fact, it is making it even worse.' Zuko thought to himself as he glanced over at his Uncle. Why he had made them take tea with Zhao Zuko didn't completely understand. The man loved to insult him, and thought that he was so subtle about it too.

"By the end of the year, the Earth Kingdom Capital will be under our rule." Zhao declared, breaking Zuko out of his thoughts. "The Fire Lord will finally claim victory in this war."

Zuko restrained himself from rolling his eyes; he was loyal, not blind nor stupid, as many Fire Nation soldiers these days tended to be.

"If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly then he is a fool." Zuko said calmly and slowly, biting back his temper.

If Kuzon had been able to kneel before a dragon and keep his head, not to mention saving a dragon egg, then Zuko should be able to handle an annoying eel like Zhao.

"Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue." Zhao said scathingly, but Zuko let the comment slide.

Even the Prince had to admit a ship full of sailors hadn't exactly helped his vocabulary or temper over the years.

Not that he would ever admit it to Zhao though.

"So, how's your search for the Avatar going?" Zhao asked, and as if it was time, Iroh knocked over every single one of Zhao's decorative spears.

"Uh… my fault entirely." The retired general insisted, backing away slowly from the mess he had made.

Zuko held back a smirk and a chuckle, instead shaping his face into a look of disappointment and stubborn pride. Azula had taught him long ago how to show just enough of your emotions to look convincing, even if he didn't do it a lot.

"We haven't found him yet." He stated simply, meeting Zhao's gaze head on, just as Kuzon had done with the dragon.

"Did you really expect to?" Zhao scoffed, though the look in the man's eyes betrayed him. "The Avatar died a hundred years ago, along with the rest of the airbenders."

 _I'm going to find you, Aang._

 _Please, help me find my friend._

Zuko's eyes narrowed as Kuzon's desperate thoughts bounced through his mind. He pushed them away. Should a concussion still be bothering him like this? He didn't know, and now wasn't the time nor place to dwell on his concern.

'Oh, he didn't die.' Zuko snarled at Zhao mentally as the man suddenly smirked, a predatory gleam appear in his eye.

"Unless you found some evidence that the Avatar is alive…" Zhao said, and Zuko had to look away as Kuzon's thoughts once again flooded through him.

 _He has to be alive._

 _I'm going to find him._

 _I know you're out there Aang, and I'm going to find you._

Pushing the invading thoughts away, Zuko just managed to refocus on Zhao enough to bite out, "No, nothing."

"Prince Zuko!" Zhao said, getting back onto his feet. "The Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you found."

Zuko could feel the other man's breath on his face but didn't back down. Ignoring the flaming rage in his gut at the question of his loyalty – and the mental wave that came with Kuzon's horror of what the Fire Nation had done – he turned and met Zhao's gaze once more.

"As I've said," He continued, keeping his tone even and cool. "I haven't found anything."

Zuko paused long enough to drop his gaze before muttering, "Unfortunately."

Keeping his smirk hidden, he made eye contact once again, adding just enough sadness to the tone of his voice to make him sound like he was still chasing hopeless dreams. "It's like you said, the Avatar probably died a long time ago."

The staring match continued for a moment longer before Zuko's gut clenched in warning. Having never known his instincts to be wrong – look what ignoring his gut had led to… stupid Agni-kai – he stood and called out.

"Come on, Uncle. We're going now."

Unfortunately, his gut proved to be right yet again as the guards at the door crossed their spears keeping him from leaving.

"Commander Zhao," A guard stepped forward and reported. "We interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed that Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody but let him escape."

Zuko's teeth clenched as he closed his eyes. Obviously he was going to need to have a discussion about loyalty with his crew. But first…

"Now, remind me. How exactly was your ship damaged?" The Commander asked, and Zuko turned to face him, eyes hard and back straight. Fine, he'd play along.

But then, when the time was right, he was going to teach Commander Zhao a lesson.

* * *

 _In the end, it was the baby purple dragon that he and Aang had once rescued as an egg that saved him._

 _Or at least, so he assumed. The baby dragon, which was about the same size as he, was curled up around him when Kuzon awoke._

 _Communicating with the two dragons was difficult, but Kuzon quickly realized that since the baby had pretty much adopted him as a friend, or perhaps a pet, its mother wouldn't hurt him. In fact, the green dragon was now helping him. She brought Kuzon water, meat that he could cook, and kept him warm at night._

 _The two dragons' nursed him back to health, and when Kuzon slowly asked the green dragon if she would help him find his friend, she snorted smoke as if rolling her eyes, and nodded._

 _And so, his time among the dragons began._

 _When Kuzon was well enough, the three departed from the mountaintop to explore the world.; traveling first to all four Temples, before following any rumor that might lead to his friend._

 _Kuzon came to really care about the two dragons who had saved his life, and in time, game them names. The mother dragon became Chey, and her purple son, Mako._

 _The three companions were careful to stay out of the building war as they traveled the globe. But it was hard to hide two dragons, especially when Mako grew to be even larger than his mother._

 _They never found any sign of Aang, but they did what they thought best in a global mess. Although Kuzon was often met with distrust, the three aided those where they could. Kuzon could remember the days when the rest of the world didn't fear the Fire Nation appearing in their towns, and when Air Nomads could constantly be seen in the sky._

 _He mourned the world that had once existed._

 _Never once did Kuzon return home though, and any trip into Fire Nation territory was done with care. He had long since been declared a traitor, but he didn't care._

 _Finding Aang was his first priority, keeping Chey and Mako safe was his second._

 _As the years went by, the three ran into more and more trouble, as they were hunted more and more. Some only wanted the title of "Dragon" that came with slaying one. Other's wanted to claim the bounty on Kuzon's head._

 _They always managed to avoid the traps and escape the ambushes – until, well, they didn't._

 _Kuzon was twenty two when it happened. The trio had been flying to a northern mountain pass when a sudden flurry of catapult fire knocked Chey from the sky._

 _Mako, with Kuzon on his back, managed to dodge a few. But they too were shot down._

" _Mako!" Kuzon yelled as they fell from the sky, smoke swirling around them, the setting sun gleaming. "Mako!"_

 _But the dragon didn't respond. Another large fire ball was heading their way, and although Mako tried to dodge, it was too late. The fireball slammed into Mako's side, causing a sickening crunch and filling the air with the scent of burning flesh._

 _The two crashed into the ground, not far from where Chey had gone down. Kuzon, being relatively unhurt, managed to get to his feet. He stood in front of his fallen purple friend as the soldiers swarmed him. He fought back, bending faster and stronger than ever._

 _His bending might have been mediocre as a child, but he had been living amongst dragons for almost a decade. Kuzon had seen the rainbow fire, and knew the true ways of firebending._

 _Kuzon fought bravely, and Mako swiped at anyone with his claws and tail who dared get too close. But there was simply too many of them._

" _What are we going to do?" Kuzon asked his old friend as he blasted even more soldiers back. While he may be the subject of a bounty, Kuzon knew that most of these men were here for the dragons. Oh why did Sozin choose Dragon Hunting as his second favorite pastime?!_

 _Mako growled softly, glancing between Kuzon, his burnt and oozing side, and where he could see his mother fighting off the soldiers._

" _Alright, let's get to Chey." Kuzon nodded, and the two slowly – and painfully – made their way over towards the smaller green dragon._

 _Chey fought with fury, fire streaming from her mouth and talons flying everywhere. But Kuzon knew as soon as he saw her that it wasn't going to be enough._

 _Her wings were tattered, filled with wholes and with bones sticking out in the wrong directions. Horror filled him and tears filled his eyes._

 _After all, a downed dragon was a dead dragon._

 _A lucky shot broke through Chey's defensives and suddenly, all Kuzon could see was the sword sticking out of the green dragon's chest._

" _CHEY!" Kuzon yelled, rushing forward, ignoring the soldiers trying to break through his constant waves of fire. He had to save her. She had saved his life, she had searched with him for years… she was just as much his mother as the woman who gave birth to him. He couldn't let her die!_

 _Mako's furious roar accompanied his scream, but Kuzon could barely hear him. All he could see was Chey collapsing to the ground, the soldiers cheering, and the massive burst of flame as their attacks engulfed her._

" _CHEY!"_

 _He pushed past another soldier, his flames biting through another. He was almost there, almost to her, when something solid collided with his shoulder and sent him sprawling._

 _Everything seemed to snap back into focus instantly, but by then, it was too late. Five soldiers were piled on top of him, and seven more encircled him._

" _CHEY!" He yelled once last time, but could do nothing as he watched her chest fall for the last time._

 _The green dragon who had saved his life, who had been his mother, his friend, his companion, was gone._

 _Mako's howl of rage and sorrow shook the ground and crumbled rocks. Tears streaming down his face, Kuzon knew it was too late for him, but his friend could escape. They didn't all need to fall today._

" _Get out of here Mako!" Kuzon yelled as the purple dragon sent soldiers flying with a flick of his tail. "Go, leave, before they kill you too!"_

 _The dragon roared back, his fire engulfing more of the men as he fought his way towards his brother._

" _Don't come for me! It's too late, just get out of here!" Kuzon screamed. He couldn't lose anyone else, he just couldn't._

 _Mako roared again in denial, but Kuzon finally snapped. "JUST GET OUT OF HERE; YOU HAVE TO LIVE, FOR ME, FOR CHEY!"_

 _That finally seemed to convince the dragon, for he sent out one last wave of fire before jumping into the air._

 _He circled around the battle once, setting all the catapults on fire, and then roared sadly before vanishing off into the distance._

" _Good bye." Kuzon whispered sadly as he strained his neck trying to keep his friend in sight as the soldiers forced cuffs onto his wrists._

 _He had lost both of his friends that night, and his freedom._

* * *

" _Do you understand the charges put before you?" The man asked, sneering down at Kuzon, who knelt chained at his feet._

" _Yes." Kuzon said slowly, looking not at the general who was running this sham, the nine year old Prince who watched from the sidelines, or even the Fire Lord who he had betrayed. Instead he looked at his parents, who he hadn't seen for almost a decade. His father was in the stands, looking old and tired, clutching his mother who was far too grey for his age. How long had they been worrying about him? How long had they prayed to Agni that he was still alive?_

 _And now they finally get to see their son, only to witness his execution._

 _The trial was nothing more than a formality, a farce. Everyone knew what happened to traitors._

" _In accordance to our laws, you have been found guilty of treason. Normally, you would be put to death, but because your Fire Lord is a merciful man you shall be given a choice." The general said with a sneer towards Kuzon before stepping aside and allowing Sozin speak from his flaming throne._

 _Kuzon was just surprised Sozin was actually in the Fire Nation, let alone overseeing his trial. From what he knew, the Fire Lord had gone slightly crazy in his older age, and was spending almost every moment of his time searching for the Avatar he fears he didn't destroy._

 _Not that everyone knew that, that was special knowledge that Kuzon had stumbled upon on accident. Kuzon allowed himself a small, whimsical moment, wondering what would happen if he told Sozin he knew exactly who the Airbending Avatar had been, and that he wasn't dead._

 _He quickly dismissed the thought. He would never endanger Aang like that, or anyone else who got under Sozin's skin. He would never forgive that man for what he had done. He'd seen the Air Temples, seen the remains of the Fire Nation slaughter. He'd been in the so called colonies, and knew that things weren't right._

 _But what could Kuzon do? He was only one man._

" _Kuzon of the Dragons," Fire Lord Sozin said slowly, his deep voice echoing through the room. Kuzon almost snickered at the name he had been given. Did they even know his family's name any more? Or had his association with dragons burnt that away?_

' _All for the best really.' He decided as he looked over at his family. 'It is better they don't know where I come from.'_

' _Wait,' He froze, realization coming to him. 'I'm about to die, in front of the Fire Lord, and am trying not to laugh. Where did my sanity go?'_

 _He then mentally shrugged. He had lived with dragons for the past nine years who couldn't really speak. Who cared if he was a few fireflakes short of a bag. That didn't matter; all that mattered was that he find Aang._

" _For your treason, your sentence should be death. However, your life shall be spared under one condition. You have unique experience, having spent many years amongst the Earth Kingdom. You know their people and their lands better than any of my spies, and your bending is beyond even some of our most legendary masters."_

 _Sozin eyed Kuzon like he was piece of meat, and it was there that he realized that no, he really didn't want to do anything for this man._

" _Despite what it is claimed, the Avatar was not killed during the Air Nomad raids, and despite our best efforts, we have yet to find him among the Water Tribes. There are simply too many rumors and people are too cautions of us investigating. I do not have the resources to find the Avatar, but you… you do."_

 _Kuzon's eyes widened. Sozin wanted to keep Kuzon alive so that he could find the Avatar?_

 _Suddenly, everything else faded away as Sozin kept talking. His words didn't matter, he had already heard everything he needed to hear. He could find Aang, sure he would be the Fire Lord's dog until he did – or died – and he wouldn't be traveling with Chey and Mako anymore.. but he could find Aang. He could keep his promise and find his friend._

"… _become my hunter in the shadows, and swear your allegiance to me and my throne, or you shall die." Sozin finished his speak by stepping forward and staring down his nose at Kuzon._

 _In the end, did he really have to choose? Was it really a choice? There was only one answer, and there would only ever be one._

" _I swear, I shall find the Avatar."_

 _Sozin's laugh echoed across the room as he smiled._

 _Kuzon was now the Fire Lord's dog, but he didn't care._

 _He only care about one thing._

 _He had to find Aang._

* * *

 _As the years past, it was only that thought that kept him sane._

' _I have to find him.'_

 _He chased very theory, no matter how outlandish, across the globe. He had a small ship, and an even smaller crew. But he was given whatever access he wanted as long as he was watched. It didn't matter how he acted, as long as he followed orders. It didn't matter who he picked a fight with, as long as he reported to Sozin. After all, he was the Fire Lord's prized dog, but still just a mutt._

' _I have to find him.'_

 _The years tore at him, eating away at his soul and his spirit. He was tired, and although he would never give up, he started to wonder if there was anything even to find._

 _But he didn't stop._

' _I have to find him'_

 _He would never stop, no matter what horrors he committed, no matter what shadows stalked him._

 _He would find his friend._

* * *

Zuko wouldn't admit it, but he was starting to become worried. His dreams bled into the day, and the foreign thoughts starts to mix with his own. He now had almost thirty years' worth of fake memories in his mind, and every morning it was taking a little more effort to remind himself that he was Zuko, not Kuzon.

Zuko was also trying very hard to hide the fact that something was wrong from his uncle. He didn't know how he would explain his predicament to his uncle, much less how his uncle could help. No, this was his problem. He would solve it.

He started meditating more, finding that it helped ease his thoughts and push the strange visions back. It was here that his uncle found him, trying to calm his mind and focus his thoughts. The candles flaring in tune with his breath, he opened his eyes as his uncle opened the door.

"The only reason you should be interrupting me is if you have news about the avatar." Zuko said, feeling more himself and peaceful than he had since the South Pole.

'I have to find him.' He thought. It was the only ray of hope in his life, and winced, realizing that after a while, finding Aang had been the only ray of hope in Kuzon's life as well.

"Well," Iroh said as he opened the door wider. "There is news Prince Zuko, but you may not like it. Don't get too upset!"

Iroh told his nephew but Zuko just sighed. He had to find the Avatar but he could take some bad news.

Attempting to point this out to his uncle, Zuko said, "Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of great leader. Now, whatever you have to say, I'm sure I can take it."

"Ok then, we have no idea where he is." Iroh said.

"What?" Zuko exclaimed spinning around as the flames flared behind him. He narrowed his eyes at his uncle. How hard was it to find a child?

" _Very"_ A voice that sounded like Kuzon's whispered in his mind. He pushed it away.

'Well, if they can't find him…' Zuko thought as he tore the map from his uncle's hands and looked at it, ignoring his Uncle's report.

'Then I'll just have to.'

Zuko's eyes hardened as he gazed at array of sighting on the paper.

'I will find him.' Zuko thought to himself, as something in him settled even deeper into determination.

' **I have to find him'**

* * *

' **I have to find him'**

What was this? These visions, these dreams? This voice that echoed in his mind?

Zuko didn't know.

Zuko wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

He clenched his fist over the water tribe necklace and gazed out over the setting sun. The dreams were becoming more fragmented, coming to him in a slow trickle that rarely made any sense. Was this his curse for trying to find the Avatar? To see the shattered life of the last man who had been given the exact same mission?

Zuko didn't know.

And he really, really wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

What would he do, if Kuzon ended up being real?

* * *

 _It was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the start of the war, aka: the day the Fire Nation committed genocide, when Kuzon was finally allowed to return home._

" _Well, I don't know if being summoned to the palace to appear before Fire Lord Azulon can be considered returning home…" Kuzon muttered to himself as the man strode through the palace, guards flanking him on either side._

" _Silent!" The guard on his left ordered, shoving him with enough force to knock him done._

 _Kuzon mearly stumbled and kept moving. He had learned a lot over the past sixteen years as the Fire Lord's lapdog. Ever since Sozin had passed five years ago, he was no longer sent scouring the globe looking for news of the Avatar or surviving airbenders. Instead, under Azulon's rein, he had been ordered to do more… nefarious deeds._

 _He had become Azulon's perfect little bitch, who's favorite tricks were assassination and espionage._

 _And Kuzon hated every second of it._

 _But it would be worth it, it would all be worth it, if he could just find his friend._

 _Let the world believe that all the Air Nomads were dead, let the world believe that the Avatar had abandoned them. He knew the truth. Somewhere, somehow, Aang was alive. His friend was alive, and he_ would _find him, no matter what it took._

" _Bow before the Fire Lord." The guard at his side who had hit him snarled as the other forced Kuzon down onto his knees._

 _Kuzon didn't flinch, didn't even bat an eyelash as he gazed woodenly at the fiery throne where Azulon sat. He gazed upon the cruel gaze of the young man, and couldn't help but think of the small nine year old he had seen looking at Kuzon with wide eyes at his trial._

' _Oh, how things change.' Kuzon thought to himself as Azulon started talking._

" _You have served the Fire Nation well these past years, Kuzon of the Shadows." Kuzon rolled his eyes. What was up with Fire Nation royalty giving him weird names? He was just Kuzon, Kuzon Aang's friend. Beyond that, he had no other name._

 _Or at least, no other name he claimed._

" _Obedient, loyal… like a dog you served my father diligently in his hunt for the Avatar." Azulon's lips twitched into just the lightest hinting of a sneer._

' _Oh,' Kuzon thought in delight, realizing he had just learned something secret about the Fire Lord. 'You don't approve of your father's endless quest, do you?' He almost snickered. 'Beneath it all, you're just a lonely little boy who's angry his father left him alone and didn't pay enough attention to you.'_

 _Kuzon had to bite his tongue from keeping himself from laughing. Here was the most powerful man in the world, thirteen years younger than himself at twenty-twenty five, and he couldn't see anything but a sad little boy lashing out on the world._

' _If it wasn't so funny, it would be incredibly depressing.' Kuzon realized, and then banished his thoughts. Not paying attention when the Fire Lord was talking wasn't the best idea if he wanted to keep his head._

" _But now, your loyalty belongs to me and me alone. Reports have indicated that you often hesitate, or take your time before carrying out my orders." Azulon said, looking down at him like he was an annoying ant that had just crawled onto his plate._

 _Not that Kuzon was worried. He was going to agree to do whatever Azulon wanted of him._

' _After all, I have to stay alive to find Aang.' Kuzon reason with himself as Azulon continued on with his speech._

" _You shall no longer hesitate, no longer avoid my orders. You are to carry out your missions swiftly and successfully. The slightest mix up, the slightest mistake, and every man, woman, and child will have orders to execute you on sight." Azulon decreed, and Kuzon actually squirmed as that conjured up mental images of a mob of children hunting him down with large stones to throw._

" _I am merely a puppet on strings," Kuzon said, choosing the most dehumanizing words as to appeal to Azulon, "and you are the puppet master."_

 _Kuzon's forehead connected with the floor as he knelt before the Fire Lord, who was now chuckling through the hall._

" _You really are a spineless worm, so desperate to live you'll preform any trick, aren't you?" Azulon asked rhetorically, as he and the guards failed to see the smirk on Kuzon's lips._

' _Yes, order me. Send me across nations and continents to do your bidding, let me scour the world at your call. But you'll never have my loyalty. That belongs to only one person, and one day I will find him.'_

' _I have to find him, no matter what it takes.'_

* * *

"I have to find him." Zuko muttered to himself as he looked through the spyglass mounted to the deck. For the first time in weeks, he had had a coherent, mostly complete dream about the man named Kuzon.

He had seen him bow to his grandfather, and yet defy him at the same time. The game Kuzon played with the Fire Lord was dangerous. But surely, if Kuzon could follow orders while also using his physical freedom to his advantage then…

"Sailing into Fire Nation waters," Iroh's words cut through Zuko's thoughts, and yet he did not turn. "Of all the foolish things you've done in your sixteen years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish."

Zuko idly wondered what Iroh would think about some of the things that Kuzon had done during his lifetime. Compared to some of those things…

Zuko was practically a wise old saint.

But he wasn't going to tell his uncle that, he didn't imagine that conversation going well.

So instead, he settled for what his "typical" response would be. "I have no choice uncle."

Which was the truth. He had to find Aa…the Avatar.

"Have you completely forgotten the Fire Lord banished you?!" Iroh's tone softened and his worry became apparent. "What if you're caught?"

Zuko knew that his uncle was just worried about him, but he wouldn't turn back now. He could.

He had to find him.

"I am chasing the Avatar; my father will understand why I'm returning home!" Zuko stated passionately. Part of him believed that statement wholeheartedly, but another part of him, the growing part of him that he didn't want to acknowledge…

Didn't believe that at all, and didn't care.

His mind was beginning to tear itself apart – these different thoughts and opinions on the world. Zuko didn't know how long he could keep his own thoughts and opinions straight. Much less keeping other people from noticing the change.

"You give him too much credit." Iroh stated dully. "My brother is not the understanding type."

'No,' Zuko said to himself, thinking back on the three Fire Lords he now had memory of. 'I don't.'

Peering back through the looking glass, Zuko smirked as he spotted the flying bison.

"There you are." He muttered to himself.

'I found you.'

* * *

"Please, Prince Zuko!" Iroh pleaded with his nephew. "If the Fire Nation captures you, there is nothing I can do! Do not follow the Avatar!"

Zuko looked into the pleading eyes of his Uncle, considering what he said.

' **I have to find him.'**

Zuko turned away, "I'm sorry, Uncle."

"Run the blockade!" Zuko ordered, his voice never wavering as the two warring sides in his mind agreed on one thing.

' **I have to find him, no matter what.'**

"No matter what it takes." Zuko muttered to himself, clenching his fists together.

He would not fail.

* * *

 _Kuzon dashed through the forest, hands clutching his stomach as he tried and failed to stop the bleeding. Never before had one of his targets been so well prepared. Never before had someone known he was coming, and that could only mean one thing._

 _The Fire Lord had a traitor in his mists._

" _Well," Kuzon said to himself. "Besides me."_

 _His lungs burned and he practically shook as every footstep caused pain to shoot through his abdomen and up his spine. That stupid Earth Kingdom noble had stabbed him!_

 _Kuzon didn't care that he failed in his mission, didn't care that the man still lived or that he would have to face the Fire Lord's wrath._

 _He had been fucking stabbed, for Agni's sake!_

" _Damn it." The man muttered as his foot slipped and he fell to the ground. His vision was beginning to blur, and his head started to pound._

" _Damn it!" Kuzon cursed again. He very well couldn't find Aang if he died from blood loss!_

" _Well, well, well," A sneering voice cut through the trees just as the earth came to life beneath him and captured his hands and feet._

" _Look what we have here boys," A blurry figure clad in green appeared in Kuzon's field of vision, flanked by ten other blurry green figures._

" _It seems that we've caught ourselves a rabid Fire Nation rat."_

 _Kuzon spat in the direction of the voice, and cursed the fact that he hadn't thought to just cauterize the wound. This wasn't the first time that he had been caught on a mission, but he had never been caught while also dealing with significant blood loss._

 _Unless he figured something out, he was a dead man; and it would be even harder to find Aang from the Spirit World._

" _Ooh, this rat still has some bite left in him." Another one of the blurs said. Kuzon growled at him, trying and failing to figure out how he was going to be getting out of this mess._

" _What're we going with him boss?"_

" _Well, the general will want to talk to him. But I don't think he'll make it back to base." The first blur said, and Kuzon couldn't help but agree with him._

 _He wouldn't make it far enough to escape, and wouldn't be able to either way. He was in no condition to do anything._

" _Should we get a medic?"_

" _No, there's no need to waste valuable supplies on a Fire Nation rat." The leader said again. "If he dies before we get to base, he dies. One less Fire Nation rat in the world, is a cause for celebration, right boys?"_

 _The other soldiers cheered and Kuzon wondered if this was the end. Was he just going to die here? Had all of these years of searching been for nothing?_

' _Is this what it comes down to?" Kuzon wondered to himself as his vision continued to fade. He could no longer feel the blood soaking his clothes, or running down his skin. 'Almost thirty years of searching and this is what it comes to?'_

' _I've failed.'_

 _All of the sudden, the ground shook and the air caught fire as a furious roar split through the air. Kuzon forced himself to focus, and just managed to see a large, blurry purple shape appear. It slashed against the green figures, sending them flying. Fire burst through the area, causing his vision to go white._

' _Mako?' Kuzon thought weakly. No, he must've been imagining it. He hadn't seen his friend in nineteen years. He had assumed that he was dead._

 _But there he was, large, purple, and very blurry as he continued to fade away._

" _Mako?" He asked as a large claw wrapped around him and pulled him from his earth restraints._

 _He could just make out the sound of a dragon's roar and the beating sound of wings before everything faded to black._

* * *

 _When he awoke, the first thing he noticed was that he wasn't dead. In fact, he felt very much alive, as the searing pain in his side attested to._

 _The room was almost completely bare, besides for the bed he was occupying and the large banner hanging across from him adorned with a large, white lotus._

" _Oh good, you're awake."_

 _Kuzon turned towards the soft voice, and found himself face to face with an older Earth Kingdom woman. Her hair was pulled up into a bun and her arms were filled with bandages and herbs. Kuzon reconized her as a small village healer. Though how on earth he had gotten there he had no idea._

 _He suddenly stiffened, his eyes widening as he suddenly remembered the large, purple blur that had appeared, growling and throwing the soldiers away._

" _Mako!" The injured man exclaimed as he bolted upright, ignoring the shooting pain and the horrified gasp from the healer._

" _Where's Mako?" He demanded as the woman tried to get him back into bed._

" _You can't get up yet! You're not well, you'll reopen the wound!" The healer insisted, but Kuzon didn't care. He had to know what they had done with Mako._

" _Where is he!?" Kuzon demanded completely furious, flames sparking to life around in him in his anger – something that hadn't happened since Chey and Mako had taught him true fire bending when he had still been but a child._

" _Peace, we have not harmed your dragon companion." Kuzon whipped around to see an old man with long tan robes standing in the doorway. "The purple dragon is fine, and perfectly safe. The Order has protected your friend for many years. Which is why when he appeared at my door with you half dead in his claws, we took you in, and healed you."_

" _Order?" Kuzon said, narrowing his eyes. "What Order? And you've been protecting Mako? Why?"_

 _The man sighed, before giving Kuzon a smile. "The White Lotus is a simple, if secretive group. We endeavor to share knowledge, discuss philosophy and meet deserving opponents at Pai Sho… no matter what nation or station the person comes from."_

 _The man chuckled, but at Kuson's unamused look the man quickly continued. "How could we not protect one of the last dragons in this world? The very origin of Fire Bending itself? The things your friend Mako could teach us, the history he could tell, if only he could talk…"_

 _Kuzon snorted, allowing the healer to treat his wound as he leaned back on the bed. "Don't let him fool you, Mako's only twenty-eight years old. Still but a hatchling in dragon years."_

 _The man's eyes widened, before he burst out laughing._

 _Kuzon couldn't help but join in; especially when Mako's large golden eye appeared at the window._

 _For the first time in almost twenty years, he was finally safe. He was finally free._

* * *

Zuko strode forward, making sure to keep his fire blasts even and straight as he punched fire at his sparring partner. His bending had been weird recently; it was making more and more concentration to make the fire follow his commands. It was like his fire no longer responded to his inner fire.

Like his mind, his bending was beginning to fall into inner conflict as well. Even the dreams and visions seemed to be effected by the conflict. For they were becoming more haphazard, no longer appearing in chronological order. It was like someone had torn all the final pages out of Kuzon's book, and now he was just seeing random pages.

As if the universe was taking advantage of his distracted thoughts, Zuko's next punch was interrupted as the ship suddenly turned, causing the sparing men to fall to the side and Zuko's shot to go wide, turning into a large flaming ribbon instead of the straight flare he had been creating.

"Someone's changing our course." Zuko growled before storming off to find the captain.

He had to find the avatar. But after a long talk with his uncle over the last time his crew had done something stupid, Zuko realized that just because he was determined didn't mean he had to be an ass to everyone. It was a talk that Iroh had with his nephew often, though this was the first time it had stuck. That didn't mean Zuko's orders could be disobeyed, though. Exiled or not, he was still the Crown Prince.

"What's the meaning of this?!" He demanded, storming into the bridge and glaring at the Captain. He bit back the comment regarding mutiny he so desperately wanted to say. Uncle had been right, and Kuzon had proved it. Zuko could be determined and driven without being a complete ass to everyone. People responded better when you weren't anyway, Kuzon had only survived many times because of that.

"No one told you to change course." Zuko knew as soon as the words left his lips that he was wrong. He was almost glad that his uncle spoke up before the Captain could reply.

"Actually, someone did." Iroh said, and Zuko found him once again playing Pai Sho. Ever since dreaming of Mako and the White Lotus, he got a queasy feeling in his stomach whenever his uncle played the game.

But surely it was just his imagination. Those dreams were simply dreams… right?

"It is a matter of utmost importance, Prince Zuko" Iroh continued, and Zuko crossed his arms over his chest.

'If it is so important then why wasn't I told about it?' Zuko bit back the comment, before continuing his thought, "Is it something to do with the Avatar?"

"Even more urgent," Iroh stated, causing Zuko to raise an eyebrow in disbelief. He had to find the Avatar; there was nothing more important than that.

'Well, perhaps besides not dying.' Zuko amended, remembering that he couldn't find and catch the Avatar if he was dead.

"It seems I…" He shakes his head in despair. "I've lost my lotus tile."

Zuko's eye twitched, and the corner of his mind he tried so hard to ignore whispered to him.

"Lotus tile?" He said in disbelief. No, it could be. It just wasn't possible. Those things were merely dreams, weird dreams, but dreams none the less. Sure, he sometimes believed that they were real, but they were overwhelming, anyone would have a hard time keeping their head straight.

"For my Pai Sho game." Iroh explained needlessly. "Most people think the lotus tile insignificant. But it is essential for the unusual strategy that I employ."

Zuko closed his eyes and rubbed his temple, the many recent memories of Kuzon under the care of the White Lotus springing to mind.

But was his uncle really a part of some secret organization dedicated to sharing knowledge and Pai Sho?

What was he thinking? Of course he was.

Resisting the urge to smash his face into the nearest wall, Zuko sighed, "Alright, we'll make a quick stop so you can find a new tile."

Opening his eyes, the prince was met with the sight of his surprised but ecstatic uncle, and an equally surprised crew.

"But then, we resume our search for the Avatar." Zuko growled as he stormed from the room.

The things he did for family.

* * *

"I thought I told you to make a quick stop." Zuko grumbled, as his gut churned. Kuzon had been to this port, and thirty years ago it was crawling with pirates and other nefarious people. He did not want to stay here long.

"I've checked all the shops on this pier, not a lotus tile in the entire marketplace!" Iroh exclaimed in disbelief.

Zuko kicked the dirt and mumbled under his breath, "That's because the piece is only important to you and the stupid Order."

"What was that, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked, giving his nephew a strange look.

Mentally cursing, Zuko replied, "Good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!"

"Quite the contrary!" He continued cheerfully. "I always saw the only thing better than finding something you are looking for, is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!"

Zuko resisted the urge to face slap as he saw his crew carrying Iroh's new purchases.

He should have seen this coming.

* * *

Not for the first time recently, Zuko was conflicted.

On one hand, working with the pirates was risky but promising. He didn't trust them as far as he could throw them, but it was better to work with them for the time being rather than racing them for the Avatar. By working with the pirates, he could also control the information they received, meaning that he could keep them from knowing that it was the Avatar they were hunting.

On the other hand, Kuzon had dealt with pirates before, this one in particular, and knew that the man had no morals and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. After all, Captain Chang had not only betrayed Kuzon to the Earth Kingdom authority so he could claim a man's bounty for himself, but then attempted to kill him, twice. So Zuko really couldn't help but dislike the man.

Either way, no matter what Zuko thought or felt regarding the situation, everything balanced on a very fine tip. If he actually wanted to find the Avatar, much less keep himself and his uncle safe, he had to treat carefully.

Especially around Chang, he had no desire to fight the Captain, or to thwart an assassination attempt. Not again.

Zuko shook his head, trying to get his thoughts in order, keeping his gaze onto the horizon.

It was getting harder and harder for him to pretend that the dreams and visions were nothing more than pieces of fiction created by his subconscious. But if there was one thing Zuko was good at, it was denying the obvious.

"Shouldn't we stop to search the woods?" Chang asked, and Zuko did roll his eyes.

If the dreams were fiction or memories, they were right about one thing. Chang was deadly, but an idiot.

"We don't need to stop," Zuko said slowly as if speaking to a five year old. "They stole a waterbending scroll, right?"

Chang hummed, eyes narrowed, obviously not liking Zuko's tone.

"Then they'll be on the water." Zuko drawled.

The Captain didn't reply, and the banished prince allowed a small smirk to appear on his lips.

'I will find you.'

* * *

Once the fight started, and Zuko found himself facing Chang, he could focus on nothing else. For that few moments, the Avatar didn't matter, whether he was Zuko or Kuzon didn't matter. All that mattered was that he kicked Chang's ass.

He didn't think, he didn't pause, he just let the moves come to him as he ducked, dodged, parried, and called fire to his will. He didn't just kick or punch fire; he moved it as he moved. Fire danced with him, coating his hands and crawling up his arms as he dodged beneath Chang's sword swing by leaning back.

Flinging himself towards Chang, he changed directions at the last minute. With a twist of his wrist, a wave of fire launched at Chang from the front, while Zuko stepped to the side, spun on his left heel, and sent a high sweeping kick towards Chang's head.

Chang dropped to the ground, his hat falling victim to Zuko's flame, dodging both attacks by a hair's breath. Using the momentum from the high kick, Zuko brought his right leg back down and beneath him, twisting into a handstand with his legs spinning out, bringing his fire up and then back around, building up the flame. With a final rotation and a twist on his hands, the fire swirled out in a cyclone towards Chang, who simply rolled out of the way.

With a single fluid movement, Zuko swung his legs back beneath him and settled a basic firebending stance, flames still crawling up his arms. Chang took the opportunity to also jump back to his feet.

The pirate was surprisingly agile for his age.

Chang rushed Zuko, his blade sweeping upward but Zuko simply brought his flaming armguard up to deflect the blade while sending a blast of fire towards him. But Chang was expecting that, and knocking Zuko's arm aside with the connecting blade, he pivoted on his foot, ending up behind him.

Just as Zuko was about to spin around, retaliating with a large upswoop of flame, Iroh butted in. Grabbing Chang's sword arm and the back of Zuko's head, he pushed the two away from each other.

Zuko recovered quickly, and turned to glare at his uncle for interrupting, when he spoke to Chang.

"Are you so busy fighting you cannot see your own ship has set sail!?" Iroh asked Chang, who simply looked at the man confused.

Zuko – anger and adrenalin still coursing through his veins – snapped, "We have no time for your proverbs, uncle!"

"It's no proverb." Iroh replied, pointing downstream at where the pirate ship was sailing away.

The prince blinked, his heartrate finally starting to slow as he realized that perhaps he had gotten too caught up in the fight.

"Bleeding Hog Monkeys!" Chang exclaimed as he ran off.

Zuko couldn't help but laugh loudly at the man he disliked so much. He deserved to have his boat stolen. While he was laughing, Zuko failed to notice the narrowed eyed look that Iroh given him.

The old general was puzzled. He knew that something was going on with his nephew; he had been acting rather odd of late. He might even say out of character. But what he had just seen… Zuko was a gifted firebender for his age, but not that gifted. He had always struggled with anything beyond the basics. But the bending Zuko had used the battle with Chang was anything but basic. He had never tried to teach Zuko such a style of firebending. In fact, the style itself was eerily familiar to Iroh, but he just couldn't place where he had seen it before.

However, that wasn't the only think worrying the man. For just a moment, during that cyclone Zuko created, Iroh could have sworn that he had seen other colors mixed into the flame. Impossible, the man knew, and yet it reminded him so much of the swirling vortex of colorful fire that the last dragons had shown him.

If he didn't know better he would assume…

No, it was impossible. Zuko never had the chance to learn the original firebending, much less hide it from him.

Zuko and Iroh were both startled when their own boat, now filled with pirates, passed them on the river.

Iroh's eyes widened, and Zuko's narrowed.

"Hey!" The prince yelled indignantly. "That's my boat!"

That exclamation was such a Zuko statement that some of the worry eased out of Iroh's shoulders. Surely, if something was truly wrong with the boy, the prince would come to him. Iroh nodded to himself. Yes, if something truly was wrong than Zuko would eventually come to him.

All he had to do was be patient.

* * *

"My boat…" Zuko exclaimed in dismay has he saw the wreckage at the bottom of the waterfall. It would take a lot of uncomfortable explanations to get a new one… he made a face at the thought.

'Oh well,' the prince thought, looking down at the remains of the pirate ship as well. 'At least Cheng can no longer claim to be a captain.'

The thought reassure him, but any amusement he had at the Captain's expense vanished as soon as his uncle opened his mouth.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh chuckled, "you're really going to get a kick out of this."

Zuko turned towards his uncle, seriously doubting it.

"The lotus tile was in my sleeve the whole time!" Iroh beamed, holding out the mentioned tile like it was the winning ticket at the lottery. He was beaming so widely that Iroh didn't even notice when Zuko's eye twitched, and he made a grab for the tile.

In one swift movement, he snatched it out of his uncle's hand and tossed it as far as he could down the river.

"I think you can handle a few days without playing Pai Sho." Zuko growled, now blaming his uncle for pointlessly getting them into this mess.

Besides, it wasn't like they were going to need to contact anyone in the White Lotus discreetly before they could get a new one.

* * *

 _Kuzon had treasured the time he had spent under Master Lee's care, even if his wife was a bit harder to put up with; he hadn't felt this relaxed and free since the last time he lived with Mako. But now the time was coming to an end._

 _He had been up in their secluded mountain home for months recovering from his injury. But Kuzon knew he couldn't stay much longer, no matter how much he wished to. He also knew that he couldn't take Mako with him. The purple dragon was too noticeable, and dragon hunting was still too popular. He didn't want to part from his friend, his brother, but he had no other choice._

 _Kuzon had to resume his search for Aang, and to do that, he first had to once again prove his loyalty to the Fire Lord, and explain his absence._

 _He knew that it was extremely likely that he would just be killed for vanishing for months on end, but had to risk it anyways. If he failed to come back and explain himself – conveniently leaving out Mako and the White Lotus of course – then he would be a wanted man, hunted to all corners of the globe til the end of his days._

 _Not something he wanted._

" _So you are finally leaving us."_

 _Kuzon turned around, having just finished packing his meager belongings into a small satchel, to see Master Lee standing at the door._

" _Yes, I'm afraid so." Kuzon replied sadly, looking out his window towards the mountain peak that Mako called home. This far north on the Earth Kingdom continent, there was almost nobody around. A few small villages lived at the base of the mountains, but most were too scared of the death filled Northern Air Temple that laid just a few mountains over to come any closer._

 _It was a good place for Mako, he was unlikely to be discovered and could see fly around with easy during the night. Kuzon knew that Master Lee would keep an eye on the dragon._

" _You know, you could stay here with us." The man suggested but Kuzon was shaking his head before Lee even finished his statement._

" _No, my calling lies elsewhere. I'm afraid that there's someone I must find." Kuzon replied, and the older man nodded._

" _I won't stop you." Lee sighed, before reaching behind the doorfraim and pulling out a proper size pack. "But that doesn't mean we can't help."_

 _Kuzon smiled softly at the kind man's actions, sinserly touched by what the couple had done for him._

" _Thank you for everything, Master Lee." The older man rolled his eyes at the title, but didn't say anything. He simply nodded, a peaceful silence falling over the pair._

 _Kuzon's gaze returned to Mako's mountain top where the dragon was sleeping. Being able to blend in so well in the dark had caused him to become nocturnal out of habit. It would be eaiser this way, to leave while Mako was sleeping. The dragon wouldn't completely understand, but it was just better this was._

" _I do have one last favor to ask, before I go." Kuzon said softly, his eyes never leaving the mountain top._

" _And what is it, my boy?"_

 _Kuzon rolled his eyes, no matter how many times he explained to Lee that he was in his forties, he was hardly a child, the man simply wouldn't listen. But he explained anyway,_

" _I want you to tell the White Lotus that Mako died." Kuzon ignored the man's sharp intake of breath and continued on. "It's just too dangerous. I know that no one in your organization would reveal his existence willingly, but there are ways to break a man. It's too risky … and I won't risk his safety."_

" _You want me to_ lie _to the Order of the White Lotus?!" The man asked in disbelief, but Kuzon simply nodded._

" _It wouldn't be forever, but Mako needs to be protected. He may very well be the last dragon still alive in the world, and I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him." Kuzon turned towards Lee, and continued. "Just keep him a secret until the Avatar returns. Please, we all know that he's out there somewhere, in some nation, somewhere in the world."_

' _No,' Kuzon thought, 'Aang's still alive!'_

 _But he pushed the thought away and continued, "I'm not going to give up my search, and I'll send you a message when it's safe. But please, no matter how long it takes – keep Mako safe. Keep the secret within the family, or something… but please,_ please _… protect Mako."_

 _Lee stared at Kuzon solemnly, contemplating his words. Finally, several minutes later, Lee sighed._

" _Alright. Alright… I'll do it." Lee ran a hand through his long hair before piercing Kuzon with a sharp look. "But what kind of message will you send when it is safe? Surely even when the Avatar returns it'll be too dangerous to speak plainly."_

 _Kuzon simply smirked._

" _Oh I don't know, I'm sure after all these months of you rattling on and on with your cryptic sayings, I can think of something equally cryptic to send back."_

 _Lee burst out laughing, and the two men enjoyed their final moment together in peace._

* * *

 _His forehead was once again pressed onto the cold, hard floor of the palace's throne room. It had been a long journey to get here without being caught – until he reached the palace gates – but it was worth it now._

 _Even if Azulon sounded ready to chop off his head._

" _You have proven, worm, that a traitor is always a traitor, no matter how many years pass." Azulon sneered and Kuzon knew that it would take all of his skills to get him out of this mess._

 _Admittedly a mess he walked willingly into, but a mess nonetheless._

" _My Lord, please," Kuzon begged, keeping his head to the floor. At least the position was useful for hiding his twitching face. "I am your loyal assassin. I act only as you will, only when you will it. Forgive my absence my lord, but I was injured badly on your last assignment, and was only well enough recently to make my way back to you."_

 _A heavy silence filled the air, and if Kuzon had been wiser, or younger, he probably would be holding his breath for Azulon's answer. But he definitely wasn't young, or wise, so he didn't._

" _Explain."_

" _Thank you, my lord." Kuzon continued with his tale. "The general you sent me kill was ready for me, my lord. I had the knife to his sleeping throat when suddenly the man tackled me. He had been waiting for me, with guards hidden just out of sight. He_ knew _that I had been coming. The general stabbed me deeply my lord, and I was just lucky enough to escape before collapsing from blood loss."_

 _Another long silence followed before AZulon asked, "Then how did you survive?"_

" _It was a small village healer, my lord." Kuzon said, not lying in the least. Lee's wife had been a village healer before they moved away to the mountain top. "She found me and nursed me back to health. Sadly, supplies were low and the wound deep so it was a long recovery processes. As soon as I could, I made my way straight back here. I apologies greatly for my failure, as well for my absence."_

 _By Agni, he couldn't believe how much of a kiss-up he sounded like. Spending months up in the mountains with Mako and the elderly couple made him realize just how much of a lie he had been living. Up on the mountain had been the first time in decades that he could truly be himself, and how he was finding it rather difficult to slip back into his life with the Fire Lord's collar around his neck._

" _He knew you were coming," Azulon's voice was dangerous, and Kuzon could feel the flames flaring from his position on the floor._

" _Yes, sir." Kuzon replied, knowing that this was his chance at victory. "There is simply no other explanation. I have gone over the situation countless times but even if the man was paranoid, there would be no reason for so many guards to be stationed, or the man's faked sleep."_

" _You suggest there's a traitor in our midst." Azulon practically growled, the flames growing hotter on Kuzon's neck._

" _I would never suggest such a thing, my lord." Kuzon declared loudly._

 _But it was obvious that was what he meant. Twisted as Azulon was, he was no idiot._

" _Very well," The Fire Lord decided. "Your life shall be spared. But for now, you will remain here at the palace."_

 _Kuzon's stomach dropped. No, he hadn't come back only to be kept in a gilded cage! He was supposed to be looking for Aang!_

" _Th-the palace, my lord?" Kuzon asked hesitantly. Why on earth would Azulon want a known traitor/assassin in public view? Was he being tested?_

" _Yes." He snapped, and Kuzon cowered back. "If I have been betrayed by one of our own then I might need your skills. Now, leave me."_

 _Getting to his feet, Kuzon bowed at the man._

" _Of course, my lord."_

* * *

It was after the ship safely docked for repairs, once the storm passed, that Iroh poked his head in his nephew's quarters to find the boy passing back and forth across the room.

"What are you doing, Prince Zuko?" The man asked, wondering what had gotten his nephew so worked up.

"Thinking." Zuko answered, sharply and simply. Iroh was not deterred however; he was too used to dealing with his nephew.

"About what?"

"Things." Was all Zuko replied. In truth, Zuko was thinking about many things. The fragments had been slightly clearer during the storm, but not by much. It was during these fragments that Zuko had seen Kuzon practicing, regaining any skill and instinct he had lost while recovering from being stabbed. It had gotten the prince thinking. While he had been trained to fight all his life, he was no master, and if he was perfectly honest, his hand to hand combat sucked. He could recall the way Kuzon walked, the way he moved. He could remember the way he climbed and stalked silently through the night, almost like he wasn't human.

He was determined to learn how to do the same.

Zuko was up against Zhao, who had far more resources available to him. If he wanted to reach the Avatar fist, he would need something to give him the upper hand.

Besides, Kuzon had shown him that it never hurt to have a few aces up his sleeve.

"Any of those things I can assist you with, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked, looking at his pacing nephew with worry. What Iroh didn't know was that Zuko was doing more than just pacing. He was practicing walking in certain way, keeping his weight on only parts of his feet, so that his footsteps were silent.

Thankfully, it looked incredibly like pointless pacing, which is why Zuko wasn't afraid to practice during the day. It wouldn't be odd if someone caught him pacing, he had done it enough over the years.

"No." Zuko replied. Re-teaching his body how to walk was hard, and it was easier for him to concentrate, when his uncle _wasn't there_.

A pause filled the air, only broken by the sound of Zuko's footsteps.

"Alright then," Iroh sighed sadly. "Well, if you need me, I'm going to enjoy some nice ginseng, and see if I can find an opponent to play Pai Sho with me."

Zuko ignored his uncle as he turned and left his rooms.

His footsteps echoed through his room, only feeding his determination. Now he only had to wait until dark. Then the real training would begin.

* * *

 _Kuzon sighed, in the six years that he had been a 'guest' at the palace, not once had they caught the spy; and oh, how obvious it was now that such a person existed. He would've figured it out even without his Dragonflies' information. Azulon's plans were being thwarted at every turn, and if Kuzon didn't have to be the one to put up with Azulon's many rants, he might've been happy about the situation. But knowing that there was another traitor within Azulon's inner circle, someone with completely unknown motives and intentions, made Kuzon nervous. It also made life tense._

 _There was one good thing to come of the mysterious traitor in their midsts. Kuzon's relationship with Fire Lord Azulon had changed. No longer was he just the Fire Lords bitch on a very short lease. He was given freedoms in the man's presence that others could never dream of. It had been long building, and while Kuzon would never go as far saying that they were_ friends _or that they entirely trusted one another, they had both acknowledged that they worked well together._

 _Kuzon started acting like less of a kiss-up, and Azulon enjoyed the fact that there was someone he could speak plainly with without fear of being betrayed or appearing weak. They didn't trust each other entirely, but they both knew what they could and couldn't say around each other. It gave the two men a confident, even if only on the daily drivel that the palace was full of or regarding the latest fire bending technics._

 _Kuzon might not have been Azulon's friend, but he was the closest thing the man had to one._

 _Which in the assassin's honest opinion was just sad._

 _But Kuzon's days weren't just filled with trying to find the traitor and ranting with Azulon. After Azulon's marriage, he was appointed Head of Security in the palace. Apparently Azulon had gotten fed up with all the assassination attempts against his wife. And, in the Fire Lord's opinion, the best person to stop assassins was an assassin._

 _Which was how Kuzon found himself in this rather odd situation, balancing on Fire Lady Ilah's balcony, one arm wrapped around the masked man's neck and the other gripping the man's wrist. The choke hold kept the would be assassin quiet as Kuzon snapped the man's arm violently. The assassin tried to choke out a scream but it come out a whimper. The dart thrower fell to the ground with a soft clatter, and with barely a thought Kuzon burnt it to a crisp. The man had no desire to deal with poison tonight._

 _With the weapon now taken care of and the whimpering and struggling assassin slowly turning blue, Kuzon sighed._

" _I get why you're trying to kill her, I really do." Kuzon whispered into the man's ear. "Kill the heir to the throne before he is even born, stop the Fire Nation. I get it."_

 _The assassin, who was barely conscious and had long stopped struggling, barely heard him. But Kuzon didn't care._

" _But the thing is, no matter how vile the family she married into is… I won't let you harm Ilah, or the unborn child she is carrying." There was a tense paused as Kuzon gazed over at the oblivious, pregnant queen who was sleeping away. "My apologies."_

 _He snapped the man's neck, and then vanished into the darkness. Hopefully that would be the only attempt tonight._

* * *

 _Kuzon watched in hidden amusement as Azulon paced back and forth in the hallway. Who would've thought that the heartless Fire Lord would actually be nervous as any other father to be?_

' _Well, it's not like he exactly had the best role model regarding how a father should act…' Kuzon mused; Sozin had been too obsessed with the war and finding the Avatar to really raise his son._

' _If nothing else,' Kuzon realized as he watched the worried man turn and retrace his steps. 'It's good to know that no matter how twisted, Azulon is still human enough to care about his wife and child.'_

 _It was reassuring, even if only a little bit. The traitor still hadn't bene caught, and Kuzon had stopped no more than forty nine assassination attempts during Ilah's pregnancy. At this point, Kuzon wanted to stay in the palace simply to make sure that the royal babe actually lived to see adulthood. Who knows, maybe he'd be able to keep the child from being as violent and vindictive as its father and grandfather._

 _Kuzon was startled out of his thoughts as a loud wail cut through the air. Azulon froze and Kuzon smiled faintly at the sound of new life._

 _The midwife stuck her head out of Ilah's room and smiled at the Fire Lord, not seeing Kuzon hovering in the shadows._

" _Your son is strong and healthy," She reported, and became one of the few people who ever saw Azulon smile. "As is his mother."_

 _Azulon relaxed instantly at her words, the worry fading from him. But the smile remained. The elderly midwife smiled at the newfound father, and continued, "Would you like to see them?"_

 _Instantly, Azulon vanished through the large decorated doors into his wife's chambers. By the time Kuzon entered, the babe was already in his father's arms, Ilah watching them with a smile from the bed._

" _Kuzon." The Fire Lord said, causing the assassin's eyes to wide. It was rare that Azulon addressed him so directly. "I want you to meet the heir to the throne, and your new charge, ,y son, Prince Iroh."_

 _Kuzon looked down at the amber eyed babe with a soft smile as it gurgled and wiggled in his blanket. He was active for a new born, and for the first time in a long time, Kuzon felt hope blossom in his stomach. Not for finding Aang, he knew he would eventually, no, for the first time in decades, the forty-nine year old felt hope for the world._

" _Hello, Prince Iroh." Kuzon whispered, bowing his head to the prince. "You are going to be a bright one, aren't you?"_

 _The baby let out a light giggle, and Kuzon decided there and then that the prince would make it to adulthood no matter what it took. After all these years in the darkness of war and despair, a little light was needed, even if it took a while to grow._

 _Kuzon finally had hope; he finally had a little light in his life, and he would do whatever it takes to keep it._

* * *

 _The years past, and although being confined to the Palace was starting to take a toll on the Avatar's friend, he never let it show. Prince Iroh was now nearing the age of six, and was obviously a bright child with a natural talent for Fire Bending. Over the years Kuzon had become more than just Iroh's bodyguard, but also his mentor. He taught the prince firebending basics and what it meant to be honorable in a fight._

 _He also told the prince many stories of his travels, censored so they were child appropriate of course, Iroh was aware enough of the violence of the world enough already. These were the prince's favorite, and he would often escape from his nanny or mother's sight to seek out yet another of Kuzon's adventurous tales._

 _It was through these stories that Kuzon tried to instill a sense of right and wrong, a sense of honor and respect that went beyond just the Fire Nation into the boy. Maybe this was his chance; maybe this was his chance to do something to help the world, since he could no longer search for the Avatar._

 _That thought always made his heart ache and his spirit rebel. He had been a prisoner of this palace for far too long. He had spent the later years of his childhood among the clouds, free from any walls and rules binding him to one place. Even now, decades later, Kuzon longed for the freedom of travel. He longed to search for his friend, what used to be a never ending desire fueling ever action, had been burned into his soul as longing. Something he thought about, yearned for, but couldn't reach._

 _The thirteen years he had spent in this gilded cage was seriously starting to wear on whatever remained of his sanity._

" _Kuzon, are you ok?" Iroh's soft childish voice broke through the assassin's thoughts. Glancing down, the man saw that once again the five year old had sought him out for another story._

" _Of course, my Prince." Kuzon said patting the boy on the head, careful to avoid the topknot his hair had been pulled up into._

 _Iroh's eyes narrowed but the prince didn't argue. He was far too used to Kuzon's silent ways by now. He knew when he wasn't going to get an answer._

" _Now," Kuzon said, lifting the prince up onto his lap. "Which story would you like today?"_

 _One day - not today and perhaps not for another ten years - but one day he would be free of this place. One day he would find Aang, no matter what it took._

* * *

Zuko's thoughts were filled with images of his uncle as a child. His dreams had taken an even odder turn as of late. He saw bits and pieces of his uncle's childhood, watching the way Azulon taught his son carefully but distantly, how Kuzon thwarted every assassination attempted, while keeping the small boy oblivious.

Zuko wondered if Iroh was still that oblivious.

His moves were silent and his actions swift as he sprinted from rooftop to rooftop, on his way back to his ship. He hadn't been able to find a single trail of the avatar's bison – Appa, his treatuious mind whispered – since the storm. So he was following Zhao. It had hard to keep his absences from the ship at night unnoticed, but he had come far in the past few weeks.

When one of Zhao's boats stopped his own, Zuko was worried. Oh, he hid it behind a mask of anger and humiliation, which Zhao's decree and promotion helped fuel, but he was worried. It wasn't until the ship sailed off into the distance that Zuko allowed himself to breath. Of course they weren't there for him. He had been too careful to get caught trailing Zhao, and besides, he wore a mask.

But he was still uneasy, even hours later as they sailed aimlessly through the water. Zuko tried to quiet his thoughts and burry the feeling in his gut. But no matter how many katas he went through the unease was still there.

Something was coming, something was going to happen. Something to do with the Avatar, he just knew it.

Just like he knew in his heart of hearts that his dreams were no mere dreams, and he had to find the Avatar.

* * *

Iroh watched his nephew in thought as the young man flowed from one kata to the next seamlessly. Once again his nephew showed skill far beyond his level, he showed mastery in moves that Iroh had never taught him.

Not for the first time in the past few weeks, Iroh was struck with a strange, but strong sense of familiarity as he watched Prince Zuko move about the deck, fire dancing around him. This sense had just been getting stronger ever since Zuko's fight with the pirate captain. Something was different with his nephew, beyond just knowing more advanced bending. He wasn't just acting oddly; something was honestly different with Zuko. It was like a part of him had shifted… he just couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

"Is everything ok?" The retired general asked as Zuko finished his kata, causing the teen to pause. Seeing this as his opening, Iroh continued. "It's been almost an hour, and you haven't given the men an order."

This was very strange behavior for his nephew. Or it would be, if he had been acting normally recently. Normally, Zuko would be coming up with some harebrained scheme to get the Avatar before Zhao. But today he had done nothing besides mutter to himself and practice his strangely advanced katas. That he had been this quiet was worrying.

"I don't care what they do," Zuko said absently, dismissing the idea almost instantly. "I don't have any orders for them."

"Don't give up hope yet!" Iroh said, almost hoping that Zuko's funk had to do with Zhao and the Avatar. "You can still find the Avatar before Zhao."

"Oh?" Zuko said with an odd tone as he turned around. Iroh was surprised at the sly look on the boy's face, and the determined gleam shining in his nephew's eyes.

"With Zhao's resources it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar; and maybe, that's exactly what I want him to do."

Iroh's eyes widened at his nephew's words, and then widened even further when he continued.

"Don't worry Uncle," Zuko said as he turned and gazed out over the water. "I haven't given up on hope; it's the only think I have left."

Iroh frowned in worry. Yes, there was definitely something very different about Prince Zuko; and he didn't know how much longer his patience was going to hold out.

* * *

 _Kuzon let out a breath as his arms fell to his sides as he completed yet another kata for the day. Things had been tense as of late, and the only solace Kuzon could find was in the soothing motions of bending beneath the warm sun._

 _They had finally caught the traitor – a general's wife who was from the colonies – and although Azulon and Kuzon were both relieved to have finally caught the spy, the fact that it had taken them eighteen years left the duo less than happy._

 _And now that that business was done, Kuzon's wanderlust had come back full force._

 _Oh, he knew that he was no longer a young man – at the age of 60 how could he claim to be? But that didn't mean he was old and obsolete either. Sure, his laugh lines were more pronounced and dark grey peppered his roots, but if asked, most would guess him to be twenty years younger than his actual age._

 _Benders tended to live longer than nonbenders, especially if they were exceptionally powerful or stubborn; and while Kuzon didn't think he was a particularly strong bender, he acknowledged that he was incredibly stubborn. Who else would still be looking for their best friend forty-seven years later?_

" _Master Kuzon, Master Kuzon!"_

 _Prince Iroh suddenly appeared before the assassin, making him blink and scold himself. If he was so lost in thought that he couldn't hear Iroh coming, how would he catch any would-be assassins?_

 _Maybe he was getting old._

" _Master Kuzon!" The eleven year old prince was practically bouncing up and down. He tried to suppress the urge, since the boy knew it was unbecoming of the crown prince, but he wasn't very successful. It was this that made Kuzon realize that he had never answered or even acknowledged the child._

 _With a sigh, Kuzon stretched and raised an eyebrow at the child, the one person who could read him better than anyone still alive – except perhaps Mako._

" _How did you do that?" The boy spoke rapidly, his amber eyes wide with awe. "The fire, it was so colorful! I've never seen fire like that before; where did you learn? Can you teach me how to do it? Why have I never seen you bend like that before…"_

 _Kuzon paled, realizing that his concentration must've wavered during his katas and that his dragonfire bending had been seen by the Prince._

 _Swallowing, and thinking fast, Kuzon interrupted the child and said, "I learned how to do that a long time ago, from a master long dead." Not one word was a lie. "No, I'm afraid it is not something I can teach you, but perhaps, if you're very lucky, one day you can find a master who is willing to teach you the same secrets she taught me."_

 _Iroh's eyes were wide with awe and disappointment. Clapping the prince on his shoulder, Kuzon steered the boy back towards the exit to the garden._

" _Come now, how about a nice game of Pai Sho?"_

* * *

When Zuko came to many hours later, it was to the sun drifting through the green canopy, a throbbing headache, and a morose young airbender.

The Prince just barely managed to groan, let alone move, when the Avatar started talking.

"You know what the worst part of being born one hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with."

At Aang's words, Zuko's heart clenched, thinking instantly of Kuzon and all the memories he had of Aang and Kuzon playing together, and the decades' worth of memories of Kuzon trying to find him.

"Before the war started," The airbender continued although his gaze never moved up from the ground. "I used to always visit my friend, Kuzon."

Zuko swallowed painfully, and closed his eyes. If there had been any part of him still denying Kuzon's existence, it was now gone. He didn't know how, and he didn't know why, but somehow, he was remembering the life of Aang's friend.

"The two of us, we'd get in and out of so much trouble together…" Aang said wistfully, smiling sadly at the memories. Zuko tried to force down a smile of his own, but only ended up grimacing, so he settled for an indifferent expression instead. It wasn't like he could _explain_ how he knew about Kuzon to Aang. He didn't even know how to explain it to himself!

"He was one of the best friends I ever had." Aang admitted, finally looking over at Zuko, who had to fight down the warm feelings that bubbled in his gut. Kuzon was Aang's friend, not Zuko! "And he was from the Fire Nation, just like you."

And in that moment, Zuko stopped fighting the memories and feelings inside of him. He didn't try to keep his expression blank, and he didn't have the urge to capture the Avatar for his father. (Though honestly, he hadn't had that urge for a while now.) In that moment, he didn't see an all-powerful Avatar, instead, he just saw a kid who missed his friends and had the weight of his world on his shoulders.

"If we knew each other back then," The airbender continued, "do you think we could've been friends, too?"

"Yes," Zuko admitted before he even knew what he was saying. "I think we would've been great friends."

A large radiant smile spread across Aang's face as horror and a newfound wave of denial ripped through Zuko. What was he saying?! He wasn't Aang's friend; he couldn't be Aang's friend. He was supposed to find _and_ capture the Avatar. Not befriend him! _But you found him._ That whispering voice that sounded like Kuzon said. But no, no!

He was supposed to capture the Avatar after finding him. He found him, he found Aang so now…

Zuko's eyes widened. What was he supposed to do? He was supposed to deliver the Avatar to his father and return home! So why didn't that matter anymore? Where was that burning desire that had brought him this far? Where was that determination that had kept Kuzon going all those years?

 _You found him._

'I found him…' Zuko thought to himself, echoing Kuzon.

Yes, but now what?! What was he supposed to do?! Kuzon was Aang's friend, and no matter what weird memories were in his head, he wasn't Kuzon!

…

… Right?

"But it's not that simple." Zuko ground out. It wasn't simple. Why couldn't it be simple? Why did his own mind have to be so complicated? His identity shouldn't even be a question!

Aang's face instantly fell, his wide grey eyes showing his devastation and newfound worry. What did Zuko mean by that?

Zuko had to get out of there. He could feel his emotions and patience fraying and his vision was blurring. He wasn't Kuzon, he was Zuko! He was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, not some traitorous assassin turned body-guard!

His body moved without his knowledge, throwing a certain blue necklace towards the young airbender. "I believe this belongs to your friend."

Aang opened his mouth, happiness and astonishment in his eyes as he realized that he was holding Katara's necklace, but was forced to jump away as a blast of Zuko's fire – more colorful than it ever had been before – splashed harmlessly against the tree next to him.

"Get out of here." Zuko growled, now on his feet. What was he doing? Why was he letting him go? He had finally found him and had him sitting down peacefully damn it!

"But…" Aang tried to protest but another blast of fire caused him to bounce off through the trees.

He had to let him go. He couldn't hand him over to the Fire Nation. He might've spent all these years looking for him, but he wasn't about to get him killed now.

Zuko blinked, his vision swimming once again. Stumbling off to where he kept his clothes, he repeated one thought over and over again in his mind.

'I'm not Kuzon. I'm Zuko. I'm not Kuzon, I'm Zuko.'

* * *

The second Zuko shuffled back onto the boat, Iroh knew something was wrong. His armor was only half way on, and not clasped properly in several places. He was deathly pale – even more so than usual – and sweat glistened on his brow. His eyes were glazed with fever, and Iroh could hear the boy muttering to himself.

"Zuko!" The man exclaimed, his question regarding the Prince's whereabouts dying on his lips as he jumped to his feet. Iroh was just fast enough to catch the teenager as he collapsed, though the motion also brought Iroh to his knees.

"Help!" Iroh exclaimed, causing all of the crew on deck to run over. Iroh cradled Zuko's head in his lap as his nephew muttered frantically in his sleep.

"I am Zuko. I am Zuko. I am Zuko."

* * *

" _You seem weary." Azulon announced one day during his and Kuzon's customary tea 'reports'. Now after twenty years working closely together in the palace, neither could deny the other was a friend. As strange as a concept as it was, somehow it had happened._

 _Kuzon merely shrugged. It was true, he was tired. He wasn't sleeping at night, and not even his katas could bring him any peace. The blood in his veins was demanding for him to leave, his heart yearning to travel again, to search again. He had been idle for far too long; and with Prince Iroh now thirteen, his real firebending and combat training was beginning. The prince was a prodigy, and could handle any threat himself._

" _Tell me, what is wrong. You have served me faithfully for twenty years. Perhaps it is time I reward that loyalty." Azulon said slowly, thinking over each word before he spoke them._

 _Kuzon tried to not let the hope consume him. He wouldn't be able to take it if Azulon was just trying to get a reaction out of him._

" _I was never meant to stay in one place." Kuzon finally explained, putting down his tea cup and glancing over towards the flickering flames. "You know how I was raised, by whom I was raised. Even after all these years that yearning to travel and explore and see all there is has never faded."_

 _He didn't dare look at the Fire Lord. It was risky just mention his past, much less how it still affects him. Dragon sightings were few and far between, but Azulon had always been sure to inform Kuzon whenever one was killed. Out of spite or some kind of twisted kindness, Kuzon never knew._

" _Even when that meant killing on my orders?" Azulon asked curiously, Kuzon simply nodded. Not trusting his voice. What was he kidding; he was never getting out of this cage. Azulon had come to enjoy having a deadly dog on hand. Why would he let that go?_

 _So it surprised him when Azulon burst out laughing._

" _If it was tormenting you so to be here, you should have mentioned." Azulon laughed, and Kuzon wisely kept his mouth shut. Sure, he might've made friends with his master, but he was still a collared pet._

" _So why didn't you?" Azulon asked, giving Kuzon his thin lidded gaze that sent many fleeing in fear. Kuzon merely shrugged again._

" _I did not think it mattered." He finally allowed himself to speak._

 _Azulon chuckled, "Perhaps not in the beginning, but we have become acquaintances these past few years, have we not? It was not something neither of us was expecting, but I suppose there are some things that just happen."_

 _Kuzon knew this better than anyone, but he still didn't think that Azulon would've cared before. He was simply too useful in the palace._

" _Surely you aren't going to let your son's bodyguard just leave?" Kuzon couldn't help but ask. Azulon just shook his head. Kuzon's heart sank, but when the Fire Lord raised his hand, everything changed._

" _It is true, you are useful here. However, your health has been failing you and your reflexes dulling." Ha, Kuzon knew there was another reason besides just friendly concern that had Azulon bringing the topic up. "So, I propose a compromise. I shall let you have your freedom to do what you wish and go where you wish for half a year, until the summer solstice, and then you shall return to the palace until the winter solstice. If you are prompt, and perhaps take care of any trouble makers that become significant, than this agreement can be permanent."_

 _Kuzon's eyes widened. Surely this couldn't be happening. He had been living on a tight leash for so long, even before he had found Mako again… surely Azulon wasn't serious?_

" _I shall not offer you this again, Kuzon." Azulon said sternly, his eyes narrowed. "So, shall you accept my gracious offer? Or would you like to rot away here, until you're completely worthless?"_

 _Kuzon accepted without another thought._

* * *

Iroh sat by his nephew's beside, as the Prince lay, still unconscious. It had been nearly two weeks, and although Zuko had mumbled, tossed and turned, he had yet to regain consciousness. His fever had yet to break as well, yet another myster. Iroh had never heard of such an intense illness that did not kill. For while Zuko was burning up, restless, and in a coma, there was nothing else wrong with him.

Every healer Iroh had brought aboard to tend to Zuko had said the same. Physically, there was nothing wrong with the boy. Whatever was ailing him was either of the mind, or of the soul.

He could see no Spirits around the boy, but Iroh couldn't shake the feeling that they had a hand in whatever was causing his nephew to be so ill. He had sent word to his brother of Zuko's condition, but was not surprised when Ozai did not respond. His brother had never been the carrying type, and his disdain for Prince Zuko had always been rather apparent.

Iroh was jolted out of his thoughts, quite literally when something caused the ship to shake. He got to his feet and – after making sure that Zuko would be alirght – stormed to the deck. They were docked at port, waiting for yet another healer to come examine the prince.

This could only mean trouble.

* * *

Of course Iroh was right. He strode purposefully out onto the deck just as a woman on a large beast climbed aboard. The crew flanking Iroh, the man narrowed his eyes, ready to call upon his flame in a moment if necessary.

It was true that in his old age he had become a bit of a pacifist, but that didn't mean he couldn't fight if he must. He would do anything for the people he loved; his mentor had shown him that at a young age.

"Get back!" The woman annoyed and the crew stiffened. "We're after a stowaway."

Iroh raised his eyebrow at the woman. It was very unlikely that there was a stowaway aboard, as the crew was quiet effective. Even if there was, they surely picked the wrong ship to hide out on, considering the fact that they had been in port more than at sea for the past few weeks.

"Even if there is a stowaway on our ship," Iroh said slowly, trying not to think about Zuko and how he would be reacting. "I assure you, we can handle it."

He wanted this woman off the ship. While normally he would be all for spending time in her lovely company, he was much too worried about his nephew's health at the moment for such things.

Iroh ducked smoothly as the animal ripped through the floor and tossed a chuck of it their way. Dropping instinctively into a bending stance, the man narrowed his eyes in displeasure as the beast reached inside and out fled a dirty earth kingdom man.

Before he could make it even a few yards, the animal's tongue lashed out, striking the man and causing him to fall over, completely paralyzed.

"He's paralyzed," A shocked crew member muttered, and Iroh could almost hear Prince Zuko echoing his words.

"Only temporarily," The woman stated, almost in reassurance, as she flung the man over her shoulder. "The toxins will wear off in about an hour, but by then he'll be in jail and I'll have my money."

Iroh had to admit, but he was impressed. He had heard of a shirshu before, but had never seen one up close.

As the girl and her prize vanished off into the distance Iroh gave the whole in the deck a displeased look. They had been avoiding Fire Nation ports so that Zhao would not discover Zuko's condition. But to repair the ship, they would have to brave the news getting back to the Admiral.

Iroh sighed, he really disliked that man.

* * *

 _Freedom and joy filled the next few decades of Kuzon's life. Sure, he still had to play assassin to Azulon's call on occasion, and he had to return to the palace every six months, but he was finally able to do what he wished otherwise. Iroh grew into a remarkable young man, slightly blinded by the Fire Nation propaganda, but Kuzon was sure he would grow out of it._

 _Just like Kuzon would find his friend, and he would not stop until he did._

* * *

 _Iroh was seventeen when his little brother was born. His father was not pacing the hall like before, but simply sitting in his throne room. Iroh waited nervously outside of the door, standing guard. There had been no mass of assassination attempts during Ilah's second pregnancy, unlike her first. But Iroh didn't know how he was going to be a big brother. There would be such an age difference between them, and he was going to be deployed with the army in just a few short years. How was he supposed to be this babe's big brother if he was away fighting the entire time?_

" _My Prince," Iroh was ashamed to admit it even to himself, that he jumped three feet into the air when Kuzon spoke from behind him._

 _Spinning around, Iroh came face to face with a softly smiling Kuzon. The prince grinned, ignoring decorum as he gave his mentor and old body guard a hug. While the man was now 66, travel had restored much of his health and he looked hardly a day over forty-five, younger than even Azulon appeared._

" _Master Kuzon, what are you doing here?" The young prince asked, his eyes wide. "The summer solstice isn't for months!"_

 _Kuzon smiled. "Your father never decreed that I couldn't return early, did he?" The man asked the prince, who merely blinked in surprise._

" _What?" Kuzon asked, "Did you really think I'd miss you becoming a big brother?"_

 _Iroh merely shook his head and smiled at his mentor. He didn't understand him very often, but that was ok. He wasn't even sure if his father ever understood Kuzon._

" _My prince," A midwife was poking her head out of Ilah's chambers, just like so many years before. "Would you like to meet your baby brother?"_

 _Iroh's face lit up, and by glancing at him, it would seem like all his worries had faded away. He practically ran into his mother's chambers, Kuzon fallowing at a must more sedated pace, chuckling._

 _The babe was already in Iroh's arms by the time he entered, and although the déjà vu was heavy in the moment, when he looked down at the amber eyes of the child, he saw no warmth the way he did with Iroh. Kuzon felt bad to judging a baby only moments after birth, but his gut had never led him wrong before._

 _But nonetheless, he would treat the babe as he had treated Iroh, if only because he despised unfair treatment._

* * *

" _I am leaving in the morning." Iroh said slowly, sipping at his tea as he studied the Pai Show board infront of him._

" _I am aware." Kuzon said simply, glancing over at the twenty year old with pride in his eyes. He was different than his brother, father and grandfather. Azulon cared little for his people, merely conquering the world, and Sozin had been blinded by delusions of grandeur. While Ozai was only three, it was obvious to the 69 year old that he would follow his father in attitudes. He spent far too much time alone with the man._

 _Not that Kuzon could do much about that. He didn't dare risk his freedom by staying and mentoring the boy. No, Azulon seemed interested enough to do that himself, something he hadn't done with his favored first born._

" _I don't know when I'll be back." The young man admitted, and Kuzon nodded simply._

" _Yes, one can rarely predict what happens in war." He said slowly, watching as Iroh hesitantly slid one of his tiles forward._

" _However," Kuzon continued at the same pace. "Let me give you some advice, Prince Iroh."_

 _Confusion evident on the man's face, Iroh nodded slowly. "Alright,"_

" _Remember that your opponent is not simply an opponent, but a person. Fight with honor, and you shall be fought with honor. Do not treat your men as objects, but as men. You wish for them to follow and respect you, you must first respect them." Kuzon said as he slid forward the lotus tile, effectively winning the game. "And finally, if you ever truly need aid, just remember: the Lotus helps even the most desperate of men if respect is given; and friends are never truly far away when you know how to play Pai Sho."_

 _Kuzon winked at the young man who looked thoroughly baffled. "For the White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."_

 _Chuckling, Kuzon finally understood Lee's love for cryptic statements. It was great fun._

* * *

The whole crew had begged Iroh to join them for music night. That was the only reason that Iroh was even on the deck instead of being down with Zuko when Zhao strode on board.

"Admiral Zhao." Iroh said slowly as he got to his feet. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"I need to speak with you Prince Zuko." Zhao stated, his narrowed eyes never moving from the crew circled around the fire, clearly judging them.

"Prince Zuko is otherwise occupied I'm afraid. I am sure that I can help you, however." Iroh said swiftly, slightly surprised and yet relieved that Zuko's condition had managed to stay a secret for so long. Honestly, that boy was going to drive Iroh to and early grave with worry. For he had still not awoken.

"I am sure that whatever Prince Zuko is doing can wait." Zhao said and Iroh had to keep himself from grinding his teeth.

"Prince Zuko is extremely ill. Now, how can I help you, Admiral?" Iroh said firmly, planting himself between the Admiral and the deck door.

"Ill you say?" Zhao inquired in obvious disbelief. "Well then, I must simply give him my respects. Show me to his quarters."

Iroh opened his mouth to say something else by Zhao cut him off.

"Unless you protest, _retired_ General Iroh?"

"No," Iroh said pleasantly though his hands where clenched into fists within his sleeves. He bowed and nodded towards the door. "This way please."

* * *

Iroh wanted this man gone as soon as possible. But the problem was that he still didn't know what the man wanted or why he was here. He stayed behind Zhao as the Admiral stormed down the hallway. Whatever Zhao's game was, he would regret going against the Dragon of the West if he thought for one moment to hard his nephew.

Zhao threw open the door and stormed in. Iroh did not follow, knowing that seeing Zuko's poor condition would simply deteriorate any self-control he had left.

"Hello, Prince Zuko. It seems that your uncle was exaggerating your condition."

Iroh's eyes widened at Zhao's words and dashed into Zuko's room, only to freeze in shock as he found the boy sitting up in bed, blanket pooled at his waste. He was still deathly pale, and obviously running a fever, but he was _awake_.

While Iroh only wished to rush over and embrace his nephew, he knew that doing so while Zhao was around would only make things difficult. He still didn't know what Zhao wanted.

"Zhao." Zuko growled his voice hoarse from weeks of disuse. "I am sure whatever my uncle said was the truth, the last time he saw me."

Iroh's eyes continued to widen. His nephew was just full of surprises tonight.

"I see." Zhao said, before turning on his heel and beginning to inspect Zuko's room. "No matter. I am not here for you anyway. I am taking your crew."

"What?!" Iroh exclaimed in shock. Sure, technically Zhao could do that, but how was Iroh supposed to care for Zuko on his own?

"I'm recruiting them for a little expedition to the North Pole." Zhao said, not even giving Iroh a passing thought.

"Everyone?" Iroh pressed, surely he wouldn't just leave them there by themselves… wait, it was Zhao. Yes he would. "Even the cook?"

Giving Iroh an irritated little look out of the corner of his eye, Zhao confirmed, "Everyone."

He stared at Zuko, prompting the weakened teenager to respond, but Zuko did nothing beside return Zhao's gaze. He must've realized the feverish glaze in Zuko's eyes was real, as he scoffed and continued.

"Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar. But I can't have you getting in my way again." His lips twitched in amusement as he looked at Zuko's shaking, pale form. "Not that you would be much of a nuisance, in your condition."

Zuko just glared at the man, who turned and looked at the two duo swords hanging on the wall. Zuko glanced between them and his uncle, wondering if Iroh had been the one to put the blades away.

Indeed, his uncle had. Iroh had no idea why Zuko had gone out with a pack and the duo swords, but he hadn't cared at the time. Now though, he wondered just what his nephew had gotten up to before he had fallen ill.

"I didn't know that you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko." Zhao said slowly as he took one of the swords of the wall, examining the blade and giving it an experimental swing.

"I'm not." Zuko rasped, and Iroh quickly jumped to his ill nephew's defense.

"They're just decorative antiques." The older man said cheerfully. "I found them at the quaintest little shop for one of the best bargains I have ever seen! The man hardly knew what he had, so I felt like it was my duty to take them off his hands."

"Indeed." Zhao said slowly has he placed the sword back on the wall.

"Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?" Zhao asked, turning and giving the bedridden teen a suspicious stare.

"I'm afraid not." Iroh said slowly, "My attention has been rather occupied as of late, Admiral."

"He's a criminal, and an enemy of the Fire Nation." Zhao said, turning away from Zuko and walking towards the door. "But I have a feeling justice will catch up with him soon."

Pausing in the doorway, Zhao paused, "General Iroh, if your… attention… permits it, I offer you the position as my strategic advisor for my mission, if you wish to join me."

"I am afraid that I shall have to decline." Iroh replied, his eyes straying from the Admiral's back to his nephew, who was glaring at Zhao.

"Very well," Zhao sighed. "The offer stands if you ever change your mind."

Zhao shut Zuko's door swiftly, and it was only after his footsteps faded from sight that Iroh muttered under his breath, "That man…"

Sighing, Iroh turned his attention back to more important matters. "Now, Zuko…."

He turned to see his nephew asleep – truly asleep, with no mutterings or restlessness – for the first time in a month.

Iroh smiled faintly.

"You get some rest."

* * *

" _It has been a long time, my friend." Kuzon said simply as he sat on the edge of the palace roof in Omashu, looking out over the stars._

" _A lifetime." Bumi agreed. "Or two."_

 _Kuzon snorted, looking up at his old friend all grown up and shook his head. He hadn't changed a bit, he could tell just by looking at him._

" _I don't think we're that old." Kuzon protested, causing Bumi to laugh._

" _Experienced then?" The king retorted, and it was Kuzon's turn to chuckle._

" _I'd say 76 years is plenty of experience."_

" _True, but you'd think 76 years would give you a bit of wisdom." Bumi said, suddenly very serious._

" _Hey now," Kuzon protested yet again. "I'd like to think that I've earned a bit of wisdom, thank you very much."_

" _Really? As the Fire Lord's lapdog? Whenever have you had time?"_

 _Kuzon cringed, looking away from his old friend and off towards the distant stars. He didn't know what to say, or how to say any of it. How could he explain himself? How could he justify all of the things he had done over the years to stay alive? He had simply wanted to find Aang, but he wasn't sure Bumi would see it that way._

" _I have heard things about you Kuzon. You aren't always as sneaky as you want to be." Bumi finally said his voice quiet and filled with despair._

 _The silence stretched on before Bumi finally asked, "Is it true?"_

 _Kuzon, not 100% sure what his friend was asking about, simply said, "Probably."_

 _They fell into a peaceful silence once again, content to be with their friend they hadn't seen or heard from in 63 years._

" _For the longest of time, I thought you were dead." Bumi was once again the one to break the silence._

" _Sometimes, I thought so too." Kuzon admitted finally, wondering how he hadn't died over the years._

" _I miss him." The earthbender whispered into the night breeze._

" _I do too."_

 _The two friends sat, both dedicated to the vow they made to their missing friend. Only, one vowed to find him, and the other vowed to wait for him._

 _Only time would tell who would see Aang again first._

* * *

Zuko woke slowly, and every moment was a fight.

What was going on?

Where was he?

His head pounded and spun, like an armadillo bear had just played ball with it. Or Mako sat on it, this felt strangely like that as well.

He blinked rapidly, trying to remember where he was and what he was doing here. But his brain refused to work. Any thought that crossed his mind came like molasses.

Zuko didn't know what was going on; all he knew was that he was supposed to be sleeping. He wasn't supposed to be awake. That he knew with absolute certainty.

He had no idea why he wasn't supposed to be awake, only that he wasn't, and that it was very bad that he was.

Just as he was about to close his eyes and go back to sleep, a squeak echoed through the room that sent alarming chills up his spine.

Mind still sluggish, but instincts yelling at him to move, Zuko jumped out of bed. Slowly he made his way through his ship. Something wasn't right here. That was something else he now knew.

He found nothing as he made his way to the bridge of the ship, and yet his instincts were still screaming at him. But if nothing was here…

Suddenly, something green caught his attention out of the corner of his eye and he turned just in time to see a large green bird that he knew, instantly knew, was trouble.

Two flashes of a man's face, one where the man was younger, and another when he was older – but still wearing that stupid hat – came to mind. A second later, the bird squawked and took flight, just as everything exploded in light around him, as he called his fire to his aid.

He could feel his back hitting glass as he was flung away, and then everything went black.

* * *

The air shook and the ground rumbled as an explosion rocked the air. Iroh spun on his heel, dropping the bags of supplies in his arms as he saw fire blooming in the night against the horizon.

"Zuko!" He yelled, and raced back towards the ship. Fear flooding his veins and adrenalin fueling his legs.

'Please, please be alright.'

* * *

" _Congratulations, My Prince." Kuzon said to the newlywed, clasping him on the shoulder and giving the twenty-nine year old a proud grin. "You're a lucky man."_

 _Iroh's eyes wandered to where his bride was, talking to some other ladies of the court, practically glowing with joy._

" _Yeah…" The man admitted, causing Kuzon to laugh. He was already whipped beyond measure to the fiery flower that had stolen his heart._

 _Iroh finally snapped out of it and smiled warmly at Kuzon. "Thanks for coming, old man."_

" _Old man?!" Kuzon spluttered, giving Iroh an insulted look. "I am not old!"_

 _Iroh laughed, "I'm sure that you're considered old when you hit seventy-eight. Actually, I'm pretty sure you were considered old when Ozai was born."_

" _Cheeky brat." Kuzon muttered to himself, causing Iroh to simply laugh louder._

" _Nonetheless," Iroh said slowly, sometime later. "Thank you for coming."_

 _Kuzon gave Iroh a soft smile, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."_

* * *

" _Iroh, you have to calm down." Kuzon said, trying to calm the nervous father to be who was on the verge of a breakdown. And he had thought that Azulon had been nervous._

" _Calm down? Calm down! That's easy for you to say, you were there when both Ozai and I were born! And besides, you've never been a father!" Iroh shot back, and while the barb stung, Kuzon didn't hold it against the frantic man._

" _I mean, what if something doesn't wrong? What if one of them dies?! Women and babes die in childbirth all the time; but this is different! This isn't a battlefield, so there's no reason for either one of them do die, right?!"_

 _Kuzon grabbed the Crown Prince by the shoulders and shook him lightly, "Prince Iroh! Calm yourself. They will both be fine, you need to learn patience."_

 _With a huff, the thirty-two year old flopped into a nearby chair that had been placed in the hallway outside of his wife's chambers. He was practically pouting, and if the situation had been different, Kuzon would've laughed at him._

" _That's what the general keeps saying." Iroh muttered to himself, and Kuzon couldn't help but snicker at that._

" _Perhaps you'll learn it by the time you're my age." The retired assassin teased, causing Iroh to huff._

" _Please, I'll learn it before I'm a fossil or I'll die trying." Iroh declared, and Kuzon scowled at him in irritation._

" _I am not a fossil, you cheeky brat!"_

" _And I'm not a brat." Iroh rebutted, a triumphant plastered on his face. Kuzon merely scowled at the man in deeper irritation._

 _Before Kuzon was able to say anything else, a scream echoed through the palace, followed by a telltale cry._

 _Without even waiting for the midwife the two burst into the room. A nurse clicked at them disapprovingly, but yelped when Iroh looked at her._

 _Kuzon hung back as Iroh kissed his wife and took the babe from the midwife's arms._

" _It's a boy," She informed him kindly, her hair white and tied up in a bun. Kuzon recognized her as the woman who had delivered Iroh and Ozai, and gave her a kind nod._

 _Iroh stared down at the newborn in awe and adoration, and didn't even notice Kuzon approaching until he was right beside him._

" _What's his name?"_

 _Iroh smiled, practically glowing with happiness and pride._

" _Lu Ten." Iroh replied, "His name is Prince Lu Ten."_

* * *

" _Uncle Kuzon! Uncle Kuzon! You're back!"_

 _The retired assassin barely was able to keep his footing as the small seven year old prince rammed right into him._

" _Wow there," Iroh said to Lu Ten as he grabbed Kuzon's shoulder, making sure that the man wouldn't suddenly topple due to the child clinging to his waist. "Careful Lu Ten, Uncle Kuzon isn't quite as young as he used to be."_

 _Kuzon scowled at Iroh over Lu Ten's head as the boy jumped back and begun to apologies profusely._

" _Don't worry about it, Little Prince, I'm not that old, and not made of glass either."_

 _Iroh raised an eyebrow at Kuzon, but didn't need to say anything, as his son beat him to it._

" _You sure?! But Daddy says you're old, really really old! So I have to be careful not to hurt you." Lu Ten said with wide eyes, obviously scared that he had hurt the old man._

 _Kuzon huffed and cuffed the backside of Iroh's head. "I'll have you know, Little Prince, that eighty-eight is a perfectly respectable age and not remotely old at all."_

 _Iroh snickered as Lu Ten's eyes widened even further, "Sssuuurrreee it's not." The little seven year old said._

 _Kuzon glared at both of them, before folding his arms over his chest. "Well fine. If I'm so old I guess that means I can't tell you a story before dinner."_

 _Lu Ten's eyes widened in horror and he quickly shook his head. "No, no! You're not old at all Uncle Kuzon! Please, please tell me a story!"_

 _Kuzon chuckled before patting the young prince on his head. "Alright, but only if you go apologize to your mother for running off on her."_

 _Lu Ten's bobbed up and down quickly before taking off at a dash down the hall._

 _Once the child was out of sight, Kuzon's body sagged. "I swear you didn't have that much energy at that age."_

 _Iroh shrugged, "Lu Ten isn't Crown Prince, he has fewer responsibilities than I did at his age."_

" _True, true." Kuzon muttered, "and less people trying to kill him."_

 _Iroh nodded simply, "And I'm very thankful for that."_

 _There was no need to mention that it was mostly Kuzon's reputation that had kept assassins at bay even all these years later._

* * *

 _The years continued on, as Iroh was promoted time and time again, and Kuzon found himself often visiting the man while he was away from home, bringing portraits, letters and stories from his wife and son._

 _Or at least, he did._

 _But now he found himself coming to stand beside Iroh, who was staring at a grave._

 _ **Mia**_

 _ **Princess, Wife, and Mother**_

 _ **You Will Be Remembered**_

 _ **38 AG – 80 AG**_

" _I am sorry, Prince Iroh." Kuzon said softly, placing one hand on Iroh's shoulder in silent support as the man couldn't help but picture what Aang's grave might look like, if he ever had one._

 _Each dwelling in their own grief, the two stood there until the sun set behind the horizon._

* * *

" _May I offer you both my congratulations and well wishes." Kuzon said, bowing to Prince Ozai and his new bride, Princess Ursa._

 _Ozai nodded stiffly to the old assassin, while Ursa offered a small smile and a brief, "thank you."_

 _Not that Kuzon was offended. He and Ozai had never become close, despite Kuzon having spent much of Ozai's childhood attempting to teach him. He had yet to meet Ursa, but knew of her lineage. Azulon had been very vocal as to why Ozai and Ursa were to marry. Or at least he had been to him._

 _One of the generals pulled Ozai away to talk, and so Kuzon bent down and whispered into Ursa's ear as he passed, "Know this, while I live you shall always have someone to speak to, or turn to in help."_

 _Ursa smiled at Kuzon, obviously touched by his kindness._

" _Thank you," She said, squeezing his hand in thanks before carrying on._

 _He continued to watch the rest of the celebration from the shadows, even successfully stopping one bitter young lady from poisoning the newly crowned Princess._

" _Hah, that'll teach Iroh to call me old." The ninety-four year old muttered to himself as he walked back towards his quarters._

 _He wanted to come up with a new travel route, because he hadn't given up yet, and he never would._

 _No matter if one hundred years came and went. He would find Aang, no matter what._

 _Eventually._

* * *

 _Kuzon's scowl on his face was practically permanent as he stormed towards the palace, three months before the Summer Solstice and his return date. His fury was practically radiating off of him, yet it would take someone who knew him well to realize. Azulon might be able to, but Iroh would be able to spot it a mile away._

 _Or apparently an ocean, as Iroh was waiting for him at the gates._

 _Kuzon's scowl didn't fade as Iroh gave his old mentor a soft bow and an equally soft greeting, "Kuzon."_

" _Dragon of the West." Kuzon spat out the title in disgust, causing Iroh to flinch slightly. "In all my ninety-five years, never have I been so disappointed in someone."_

 _With a sigh and a cringe, Iroh beckoned Kuzon forward, a pleading look in his eyes._

" _Please, Master Kuzon, we need to talk."_

 _Raising an eyebrow at the title Iroh had left behind decades ago; Kuzon nodded slowly and allowed the prince to drag him to the gardens. Once they arrived, Kuzon arranged himself underneath a blooming tree and said,_

" _Speak."_

 _So Iroh began his tale._

" _It is true that I tracked down the last two dragons in existence, and it is true that I discovered them hidden deep within the mountains." Kuzon's gut tightened as he listened to the story, praying, pleading to whatever spirits that were listening that Mako was still alive, still safe. "But I_ didn't _kill them."_

 _Kuzon's eyes snapped up towards Iroh's. The pleading look on his face was practically desperate and he could see the honesty within them. The man sighed._

 _Iroh took that as his cue to continue. "I was judged worthy by the Sun Warriors, as well as Ran and Shaw – and well…"_

 _Colorful fire came to life in Iroh's hands, and he gave Kuzon a proud smile._

" _I found a master to teach me,"_

 _Joy spread through the man's heart as he clapped Iroh on the back, a deep belly laugh escaping him._

" _All these years, and you remembered."_

 _Iroh grinned mischievously, "Why, of course I did!"_

 _They both chuckled, the tension bleeding out of the air as the two firebenders relaxed. Kuzon was proud of the prince, because of him, Mako and the other two dragons would be safe. Because of Iroh, his friend would survive._

* * *

" _You wanted to see me, my lord?" Kuzon asked as he entered the throne room slowly. It had been many decades since he had been summoned there, though he and Azulon had shared tea here only weeks before._

" _Yes," Azulon said slowly. "I have heard a rather disturbing rumor, and I wish you to dispute it for me."_

" _Oh?" Kuzon inquired, wondering what on earth Azulon had heard. It wasn't like he was going around and actively committing treason anymore. He wasn't even an active assassin anymore! Sure, he still had a rather wide information network, but he rarely commanded his Dragonflies, merely read their various reports – unless he was given a specific order from Azulon._

 _He didn't even bother openly inquiring about the Avatar or airbenders during his travels. It was too suspicious these days. That didn't mean he wasn't looking, or that his Dragonflies weren't keep an ear out, but he had become rather discreet regarding the reason of his travels over the past three decades._

" _Yes, it seems that some believe you have spent the freedom I graciously gave to you conspiring with the Earth Kingdom, and actively searching for the next Avatar."_

 _Kuzon couldn't help it, but he burst out laughing. The accusation was so close to the truth, and yet as far away as it could be. It was funny! He had been worried for all these years that Azulon would figure out his real motives, and here is an excuse to get the Fire Lord to believe in him even more. As if over seventy years of service to the throne and almost sixty years of service to Azulon hadn't convinced him of that already._

 _Azulon had given up any suspicions he had of Kuzon decades ago. After all, who would be able to keep up such an act for so long?_

 _Azulon joined in on Kuzon's laughter as well, though it was raspy and weak. Azulon obviously hadn't laughed in a very long time._

" _Yes, yes." Azulon waved, dismissing the retired assassin and spy. "You are right, of course. You may go Kuzon."_

" _Thank you, my lord." Kuzon grinned, still effortlessly hiding any unease he had regarding the topic. "I haven't laughed like that in a very long time."_

 _Neither of them saw Ozai glaring in a darkened corner._

* * *

 _It was two days later that everything came to a head, and Kuzon should have seen in coming._

 _He knew that something was wrong, that had been obvious since Azulon had summoned him. But he wasn't sure_ what. _Everyone in the Royal family was healthy and more or less happy – Lu Ten missing his mother and Ursa missing her first lover – and Iroh was slowly making his way towards becoming general. The only reason the man wasn't one yet was because he had kept returning home to spend time with his son, especially the past three years since Lu Ten's mother died._

 _As for himself, Kuzon was doing just fine. Sure, his hair was more white than black now but he didn't mind. He could still sneak as well as the best man, and was far from being fragile, no matter what Iroh said. He hadn't left on the Winter Solstice this year, as Iroh had asked him to keep an eye on Lu Ten while he was away; and considering the fifteen year old needed a new firebending teacher – the old one quit – he had agreed._

 _But now he was starting to regret it. For something was just not right in the palace._

 _It was like a dark cloud was one the horizon, getting ready to sweep everyone away in a devastating storm; and he didn't like it. Not one bit._

" _oof!" Kuzon exclaimed as someone suddenly ran into him at full speed. With a twist, Kuzon was able to absorb the blow and merely fall to his knees instead of being thrown to the ground, but he still glared up at the young soldier who had dared run through the palace halls._

" _Boy!" Kuzon snapped, as the young man swallowed and looked about seconds away from pissing his pants. "What do you think you were doing, running like that in the palace?! Tell me, are we being invaded?"_

 _The soldier swallowed. "No."_

" _Are there enemies on our doorstep?"_

" _No."_

" _Has someone attempted to kill one of the Royal Family?"_

 _The soldier swallowed again and said, "No."_

" _Then tell me why you thought it was a good idea to sprint through the halls like a child! What do you think would've happened if it was Prince Ozai or Lu Ten that you ran into, hmm? Or what if you had crashed into the Fire Lord himself?"_

 _The young man fell to the ground in a bow, muttering over and over again how sorry he was._

 _Rolling his eyes, realizing that he may have been a bit rough on the lad – maybe he_ was _getting old – he pulled the soldier to his feet._

" _Now, that's enough of that. What's your name, boy?"_

" _Zhao." The man muttered, still eyeing Kuzon like he was about to kill him or something. He must've heard of him. "Lieutenant Zhao."_

 _Kuzon nodded, "Well then, Lieutentant Zhao. I am sure you are expected somewhere. Just try not to sprint through the halls like a pack of catgators are on your heels next time, alright?"_

 _Turning on his heel, Kuzon walked away, only for a sharp pain suddenly piercing his back to send him back to his knees. Pain overwhelmed him as he felt the knife withdraw from his back, and he was kicked to the ground._

 _Blood pooled around him as Kuzon tried and failed to focus. His vision was already gone, and he knew, even before the blade struck him for the second time, that he didn't have much time left._

" _You shouldn't have turned your back." Zhao muttered in his ear, as he kicked him over so that he was lying on his back. "You might've stood a chance, otherwise."_

 _With one final thrust, the blade pierced Kuzon's heart; and the Avatar's friend died. Zhao's knife in his chest and Ozai's chuckle being the last thing he heard._

' _Aang, I failed you.'_


	2. Part 2

_**Kuzon was confused when he came to. He was dead; Ozai and Zhao had killed him. So how was he here… and where was here anyway?**_

 _ **Everything looked strange, the colors just slightly off, and the textures all wrong. It was like what his mind was sensing and what he was actually experiencing were two different things.**_

" _ **That's a close enough explanation." A voice suddenly came from behind him, causing Kuzon to spin around and almost fall off of the large tree root he stood on.**_

 _ **Kuzon's eyes widened as he recognized the person, no – the Spirit that was standing before him.**_

" _ **Avatar Roku." Kuzon said, bowing deeply to the Avatar.**_

" _ **There is no need for that, Kuzon of the Dragons." Roku said, causing Kuzon's eyes to widen in surprise. He hadn't been called that since his trial with Sozin. "You were a friend to Avatar Aang; therefore, you are a friend to us all."**_

 _ **Kuzon nodded slowly, still just trying to figure out what was going on and why Roku was there.**_

" _ **So, I'm in the Spirit World?" Kuzon asked slowly, looking around at the strange world he had ended up in.**_

" _ **For the moment, yes." Roku nodded and while Kuzon thought the wording of his statement strange, he wasn't about to push it. He wasn't sure how to act around the Fire Nation Avatar. Sure, Aang was the Avatar, but that was totally different than talking to a fully-fledged Avatar in the Spirit World.**_

 _ **Oh great, his head was beginning to hurt.**_

 _ **How was that possible? He was already dead!**_

" _ **I understand that you are confused, and while you are quite good at them, don't appreciate word games. So I'll be blunt." Roku said, causing Kuzon to almost sigh in relief. After all those decades around Royals and doing espionage he cherished bluntness. It was rare in the Fire Nation Court.**_

" _ **Kuzon, you have spent the majority of your life searching for Avatar Aang, and have proven yourself to be a true friend… even if a bit of an insane one."**_

 _ **Kuzon didn't even bother to protest. He was rather aware that obsessing on one task for over eighty years definitely wasn't the definition of sanity; not to mention everything else he had done in his lifetime.**_

 _ **Then again, Bumi wasn't entirely sane either… what was it about Aang, that caused him to befriend two almost-but-not-yet insane people? (Who later became insane.)**_

' _ **Thoughts, back on track.' Kuzon scolded himself. 'This is important.'**_

 _ **Roku simply sighed.**_

" _ **Aang's journey has just begun. Very soon he will find himself thrown into a world he is not ready for, and tasked with an almost impossible mission. When you were a child, you swore that you would find Aang; and almost every day since then you have renewed that vow. The Spirits have heard you, and as such, have an offer for you."**_

 _ **Kuzon blinked slowly, working through what the Roku was saying. "Alright… continue."**_

" _ **Aang will need a friend when he reemerges into the world, someone who knows the war, who has seen it evolve. He will need a guiding hand, and a protector."**_

" _ **And you think that's me." Kuzon stated in disbelief. How was he supposed to do any of that? He was dead, incase Roku and every other Spirit in on this missed that little fact. It would be rather hard to help Aang from the Spirit World, even if he was the bridge between the two.**_

 _ **Roku smiled softly, "We know it's you."**_

" _ **What exactly are you offering here?" Kuzon asked slowly, still trying to keep up with everything.**_

" _ **We are offering you a second chance. As you know, all Souls are reincarnated into the world at some point or another. However, very few ever remember their past life. This is the gift we offer you: a second chance at life, a second chance at being Aang's friend, at finding him. It will not be easy, and you shall not remember immediately, but in the end, you will fulfill your vow.**_

" _ **You will find Aang."**_

 _ **Kuzon thought about it for a moment, but in the end, there was no choice. There never had been.**_

" _ **I accept."**_

* * *

Zuko gasped as air suddenly filled his lungs and his heart restarted once more. He pushed himself up, ignoring his uncle's hands and worried words as he coughed up water.

Finally, he had his answers, finally he could remember everything. Finally, he remembered who he was.

He was Prince Zuko, the banished Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, tasked to capture the Avatar to regain his honor. But he was also Kuzon of the Dragons, Kuzon of the Shadows; the Fire Lord's pet who had vowed to find his friend.

And he had done it, although it had taken two different lifetimes and a hundred years. Chuckling to himself, he allowed himself to revel in the moment of that realization. Ok, sure. He had found Aang, then fought him, and then hunted him and his friends practically everywhere, only to help him…

But he had been having a major identity crisis, so that was understandable. (Or at least it was to him.)

His lungs finally free of all the water, he collapsed back down onto the cold, rocky shore. Zuko scowled as the rocks dug into his aching back, which hurt even worse than his burning throat. That was the second time that Zhao had killed him now – for who else could've been behind it? – and Zuko would not allow that man a third opportunity.

"Zuko! Zuko, answer me!"

He finally realized that his uncle, that _Iroh_ was still hovering over him, almost in a panic. Frowning – as he didn't like his uncle or his old friend worried like that – he pushed himself back up into a seated position. Ignoring the pain that shot through his back at the movement, his mind whirled with what he could do, what he could say.

"I'm fine, Uncle." Zuko rasped out, settling on a scenario.

However, as the words left his lips, Zuko realized for the first time that he _was_ alright. Sure, he was battered, bruised, and rather angry at Zhao for killing him again. But for the first time in this body – no, for the first time since Aang went missing – he was truly alright.

What an interesting feeling.

"Fine!?" Iroh exclaimed in disbelief, eyeing his nephew as if he had suddenly gone mad and considering everything, well, that probably wasn't all that far off. "Zuko, your heart stopped. You died!"

"I know," Zuko replied, making Iroh give him an extremely worried look. "But there are more important things to deal with right now."

Iroh spluttered, but Zuko ignored him. He would explain to his uncle later. "I need a messenger hawk and something to write with, and we'll need to procure ourselves a new ship. Pai Sho may or may not become involved eventually…"

Zuko trailed off, seeing the rather freaked out expression on Iroh's face. He smiled at the man, and patted him on the shoulder like he had so many years ago.

"Then, I think I owe you an explanation."

Iroh took a deep breath, collecting himself before giving Zuko a piercing look.

"Yes, I would say that you do."

Zuko simply quirked his lips into a knowing smirk.

* * *

The hawk was procured and sent out before dawn; however Iroh had demanded to at least wrap Zuko's ribs before they set out looking for a new ship. Something that was turning into quite a challenge. It was practically midday and they still had yet to find anything that could be piloted by two people and still be a generous size.

Zuko was being vague as to why they needed a large vessel, and it was starting to frustrating Iroh. He had become accustomed to being the vague one. For it to be turned around on him – by his teenage nephew nonetheless, was quite vexing.

The main problem that the two ran into was the price of the ships. Normally, gold wouldn't be a problem for the two. However, they had both agreed that being as incognito as possible here was needed. Therefore, they were both dressed simply and could only spend the gold they had managed to salvage from the ship and carried on them. Which wasn't a lot.

Iroh had tried to convince Zuko to purchase one of the many smaller, cheaper vessels they had seen that morning. But the prince was stubborn. After talking to every single person on the docks, Zuko turned towards the port shops.

He had been at this specific port many times during his years as Kuzon – there were few places he hadn't been to as Kuzon – and although his knowledge was seventeen years out of date, he was hoping to get lucky.

It would be nice to get some good luck for once.

For while the prince knew logically that it would take time for Zhao to gather his forces and make his way to North Pole, he was still overcome with the urge to do _something_. After all these years, after everything he had gone through, he was finally able to accomplish something, he was finally able to help Aang.

And damn it he wasn't going to fail. Not this time.

Not again.

Not to Zhao.

* * *

"There is no need for a large ship, Prince Zuko!" Iroh whispered harshly as they wandered down the street. "I understand that you're upset, but running off to confront Zhao isn't the answer! Let go of your pride, there is simply no need…"

"This is not about my pride." Zuko said sharply, turning and giving his uncle a stern look. Yes, he knew that he needed to explain things to his uncle. But right now…

Iroh opened his mouth to say something more, but Zuko walked forward and into a small tavern that was practically falling down.

"Pri… Nephew!" Iroh exclaimed, surprised and rather irritated as he ran after the prince. Zuko was completely composed as he leaned across the bar. The barkeep eyed him carefully, and Zuko was disappointed to see that it was no longer Tai behind the bar.

"Can I help you with something?" The man asked as he cleaned a glass, eyeing Zuko's cut up face in wariness. The prince stared at the bartender for a moment before nodding to himself. The older man resembled Tai enough that it was probably his son. Well, it was time to see how tattered his old resources were.

"Yes," Zuko said slowly as Iroh appeared at his shoulder, looking worried. "I am curious as to whether amber dragonflies can still seek shelter here."

The man's eyes widened and he almost dropped the glass in shock. Thankfully he caught it last minute and set it down carefully on the counter.

"Of course. Dragonflies are always welcome amongst our white petals." The man recited the other part of the passcode in shock, obviously surprised that he ever used it. Iroh raised an eyebrow looking between the barkeep and Zuko in curiosity.

"How can I help you?" The man asked, glancing over at Iroh in hesitation. Zuko smiled.

"Oh, don't worry about my uncle. He's quite fond of Pai Sho." Iroh turned towards his nephew so quickly Zuko worried for a moment that he had hurt his neck. But the man simply stared at his nephew in thinly concealed shock.

"I see," The man said slowly before refocusing. "And what is it exactly that the two of you require?"

Zuko's expression morphed into a predatory grin. "I need a ship with a large deck that can be piloted by two, all of Master Fly's reports that you have, the finest duo swords you can get, and shelter."

The man's eyes widened with each request, and widened even further when Zuko dropped his bag of coins onto the counter.

"And unlike before, I have gold."

* * *

Despite Zuko's desire to move northward as soon as possible, he was able to be patient. Iroh and the prince spent the night in Hue's, nephew to Tai it turned out, spare room. Tai had passed on the year before, but had taught his nephew all of the Dragonflies' codes and ways in case someone came knocking. For while Kuzon had passed on seventeen years ago, his information network had never dissolved. They had gown during their time alone, Zuko was happy to discover; working together as a group to fight the war in the shadows.

After showing the pair to the room, with the prince still ignoring his uncle's questions, Hue had returned quickly with the information reports that he had. The Master Fly was a position exchanged once a year to a volunteer in the organization who would take all of the reports, filter them, and condensed all the information into one useful report that originally had been sent to Kuzon.

However, since Kuzon's death, the Master Fly began sending out the condensed reports randomly to everyone he could. The reports came out as needed; depending on how important and frequent the individual reports that Master Fly received were. Or at least, that's what Hue explained to the young prince.

"How far back do these go?" Zuko asked the man, glad that his uncle had given up and was now in another room making tea. A moment's peace was exactly what he needed.

"I brought you all of the ones I have from the past five years." Hue informed the prince. "Uncle Tai became a bit of a hoarder in his later years. Although we knew it was dangerous, he kept every single report he could after the Amber Master's death."

Zuko nodded, hardly believing the fact that he was actually this lucky. Maybe the Spirits really were on his side.

"I shall leave you to read those." Hue said, placing a candle by Zuko and walking towards the door. "I should have both your ship and swords procured by morning."

"By morning?!" Zuko exclaimed, looking up at Hue in surprise. Even in the Dragonflies' height of power and resources, it would've taken them days to get what he had requested.

The barkeep smirked. "Oh, little Amber Heir. It's been far too long since your family has been in charge. We're not just a group of little dragon-spies anymore. We've grown."

"Yes, I can see that." Zuko said faintly as Hue left, chuckling. He was surprised that he had been tied to his past life so quickly, and by someone he had never met…

Oh well. It did no harm for Hue to believe that Zuko was Kuzon's grandson or something. In fact, it might be useful. It would all depend on just how the rest of the Dragonflies would react to "Amber's Heir".

* * *

"We need to talk, Prince Zuko." Iroh said quietly into the night, as the two lay on their bed scrolls. The moon was high in the sky, and all of the fires in the room had gone out long ago.

"I know." Zuko breathed quietly a few moments later. He hadn't been able to sleep, his mind whirling with plans and horror regarding how bad things had gotten since he had died. Sure, he had known more or less the Fire Nation's view of the war since he was the Crown Prince, but that didn't mean he knew the rest of it. Like the Dai Lee. If he ever got his hands on that Long Feng person… well, he could deal with him after Zhao and his father were taken care of.

"Zuko…" Iroh practically growled when Zuko stayed silent. The prince's eyes remained closed, but he rolled them and pulled the blanket higher around his shoulders.

"We'll talk tomorrow, Uncle." Zuko finally said, his voice echoing softly. "Let's just get out on the water first, alright?"

Zuko took Iroh's silence as agreement, and allowed the image of Zhao's head on a pike lull him to sleep.

* * *

"Prince Zuko." Iroh's tone was sharp and his eyes narrowed as he planted himself behind his nephew on the bridge of the ship later the next day. "I believe you promised me an explanation as to what has been going on. I have been patient, now I would like some answers."

With a sigh, Zuko nodded in response. He knew that he really did owe Uncle an explanation. He probably shouldn't have pushed his luck with Iroh for so long, but now at least Iroh had proven he had definitely learned patience over the years, and he had done it before he was a "fossil" too. Ok, the retired general had proven his patience long ago by putting up with his bratty attitudes over the years… Zuko winced at the memories. Damn, he had been such a spoilt brat.

But still, he hadn't remembered their little bet back then.

Refocusing, Zuko returned to the problem he had been trying and failing to solve for over twenty-four hours now. How he was going to tell his uncle everything without Iroh thinking he was completely insane. Not to mention convincing his uncle to actually believe all the insanity he was about to tell him…

He sighed again. This was going to be an interesting conversation.

When Zuko turned around, Iroh's face was completely blank. But he knew his uncle was at his limit, he was simply too familiar with his tells – as both Kuzon and Zuko.

Words failed him, and Zuko found himself simply staring at his uncle, actually taking the time to study his old friend. The grief of losing Lu Ten weighed heavily on his uncle and old friend, and he felt his heart clench at the thought of his cousin and latest little apprentice being dead. It had been so long, and yet Zhao's first attack still seemed like yesterday to a part of him.

"Zuko?" Iroh asked slowly, unfolding his hands and taking a step forward. Zuko realized that he had been rubbing his chest where Zhao had shoved the knife into his heart. He tore his hand away and suppressed a shudder. Zhao would get what was coming to him, now was not the time to get caught up in memories.

"I'm fine." The prince said slowly as he grabbed two cushions from the side of the room and placed them down on the floor. He chose one of the pillows and waited until his uncle took his own seat before speaking.

"I'm sure you've noticed," Zuko began after several moments of silence, deciding that it was best to just start at the (sorta) beginning, "my weird behavior as of late…"

"Oh, yes. It was painfully obvious Prince Zuko, or at least it was to someone who knew you." Iroh muttered the last part to himself, and Zuko nodded, allowing him that.

"Right," Zuko sighed, finding that all of his nerve had left him and he now had no idea how to put any of this into words. "I…I am not sure where to start, honestly."

"The beginning is usually the most useful place to begin a story." Iroh said with a quirk of his lips and Zuko couldn't help but laugh.

"True, however that would take too long." Zuko sighed, threading his fingers together before throwing his hands up in the air. Jumping to his feet, he started pacing.

Iroh settled in to wait patiently, sliding his hands into his sleeves, his eyes never leaving his nephew.

"Alright. Here's the quick version. A very long time ago, I made a vow. I was seriously committed to this vow, but was never able to complete it. So, when I died, the Spirits decided to interfere." At the mention of Spirits, Iroh's eyes widened and he stared at his nephew in disbelief.

"I started remembering bits and pieces after getting knocked into the ocean by Aang," Iroh blinked in surprise at the way Zuko addressed the Avatar, "and his Water Tribe friend. As time went on, I got more and more memories of before… but well, I didn't exactly take the conflicting views well."

Zuko grimaces as Iroh's eyes widened in understanding, "Your illness."

The Prince nodded, "Identity crisis would be an understatement."

"Anyway, when the ship exploded – oh, it was those pirates by the way, no doubt employed by Zhao," Iroh took note of the sneer that flickered across Zuko's face as he mentioned the Admiral. "And my heart stopped…"

"You remembered everything." Iroh concluded, stroking his beard thoughtfully, his eyes calculating.

Zuko nodded his pacing ceasing as he came to rest at attention, hands behind his back to keep himself from fidgeting. What was his uncle going to say? That was the barest of all the details. It really explained very little. It didn't even go anywhere near how he had gotten the boat and swords, or why he was so determined to go north…

After a moment of silence, Iroh cleared his throat, suddenly nervous. "Prince Zuko, who… I mean, how did…"

Zuko chuckled his heart lightening as his uncle accepted what he had heard so far. This part was easier. He had spent many hours the night before debating about how he would specifically reveal his identity to his uncle.

And this morning, at the sun rose, he had gotten the best idea.

Bringing his colorful fire to life around him he allowed it to form into a large fiery lotus flower in his hands before he dropped into a kata. The same kata, in fact, that he had been practicing all those years ago when Iroh discovered his colorful, dragon-taught bending.

He could feel his uncle stare in shock as he moved seamlessly through the forms, but he didn't care. Zuko allowed the chatter in his mind to fade as he flowed from one stance to the next. It was peaceful, it was relaxing, and he was almost sad when it was over.

Opening his eyes at the completion of the kata, he found that Iroh was staring at him in complete shock. His jaw was practically on the floor and his eyes were almost bugging out of his head.

Clasping his hands behind his back once again Zuko chuckled to himself. This was the first time in this lifetime that he had seen Iroh look like that. It was nice to know he could still shock the man to that extent.

"I'm glad you finally picked up some patience," Zuko said simply to say something when he realized that Iroh wasn't snapping out of it any time soon. His face scrunched up as he remembered his childhood and the recent years as a banished teen. "I'm pretty sure I would've driven you insane otherwise."

It was only then that Zuko allowed silence to fall. He knew that his uncle needed to have the time to process everything that he had just learned. It was a big bombshell to drop on the man.

'Not that it had been an easy one to deal with myself.' Zuko admitted, knowing that Iroh was probably dealing with the news better than he had; and Zuko had had a much, much longer processing time.

"Kuzon?" Iroh finally asked in disbelief, slowly getting to his feet. He reached out towards his nephew, as if not believing exactly what he was seeing.

Zuko smiled mischievously, "Hello, Iroh. Now you seriously can't call me old."

As Iroh collapsed backwards, Zuko tilted his head to the side. For the first time since awakening he wondered just how this all was going to change everything. He knew what he had to do now but beyond that, what he was going to do afterwards…. He had no idea.

With a shrug, he turned back towards the wheel. Something heavy weighed on his mind, but now wasn't the time to dwell. He would consult with Uncle once he regained consciousness. But for now…

He had an old friend to meet up with.

* * *

High up in the northern mountains, a messenger hawk flew. Higher and higher it soared, until it was no longer the only being in the sky.

The bird didn't falter or even screech as cheerful children on gliders flew by, circling the hawk.

"What's that hawk doing here?" One of them called to another.

"I don't know; it doesn't have the Fire Nation crest on it."

"But it's a Fire Nation hawk! Why doesn't it have a crest?" One of the smaller ones yelled as the group approached the temple.

With a final loop, the hawk descended until he landed carefully on Teo's knee, causing the boy to blink in surprise. As the rest of the children landed around him, he carefully asked the hawk,

"Is this for me?"

The hawk simply ruffled its feathers, turning around so that Teo could remove the scroll from his back.

"Who's it for, Teo?" One of the children asked.

"Who is writing to you?"

"Yeah! With a Fire Nation hawk too!"

"Quiet!" Teo told the other kids. "We won't find anything out if you don't calm down."

All chastised, the children fell silent. Teo removed the scroll from its container, and the hawk instantly returned to the air.

Shrugging, Teo examined the scroll, finding that it was sealed with an empty wax press and had something written on the side.

" **To Lee's decedent,"** Teo read, extremely confused.

"What'cha got there, son?" the Mechanist asked as he appeared behind the children.

"I don't know. A hawk brought it, but I don't know who's it for." Teo told his father as he handed him the scroll.

Reading the inscription, the inventor's tattered eyebrows rose in surprise. "Lee was my grandfather's name."

"Really?" Teo asked in surprise. He had never heard much about his grandfather, only that he had lived in the mountains away from the village, had been a bit of a hermit with his wife, and that they had both died years before the flood.

"Yup." His father confirmed. Unrolling the scroll, his eyes widened as a Pai Sho lotus tile fell out. He read the missive quickly, before laughing loudly.

"What's it say?" Teo asked, the rest of the children muttering in agreement behind them. They wall wanted to hear what the strange letter said.

"Here, you read." The Mechanist said, handing the now open scroll back to his son.

" **Oh ancient white blossom,  
You have hidden and lied,  
Against your initial judgement,  
But now it is time. **

" **Set your secret free,  
Soar high and Roar,  
Come find your friend,  
The Avatar has returned.**"

Teo blinked as he came to the end of the verse, looking up at his chuckling father in confusion.

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"Keep reading, there's more." The man grinned, and Teo continued.

" **I promised Lee many years ago that I would be cryptic, and I hope his spirit finds this suitable.**

" **To the person reading this, I thank you for taking care of Mako over the years. I do not know how much information Lee shared, but his safety has given me the strength I have needed over these past decades.**

 **But now it is time, and we must fly together once again. Tell Mako he can find me in the northern seas, heading towards the Northern Water Tribe. He shall know which vessel is mine when he sees it.**

 **My thanks and blessings,  
KZ of the Dragons**"

"KZ? What kind of name is KZ?" One of the children asked, and Teo could only shrug. He had no idea.

"Maybe it stands for something, like a secret code!" The smallest one chimed in.

"Oh, there was a code alright." The Mechanist piped in, "but it wasn't in the writer's name."

"Huh?"

"Was it in the poem then?" Teo asked, and the man simply winked at his son.

"Teo, do you remember those tales about a purple dragon living in these very mountains I told you when you were a boy?"

"Of course!" The boy exclaimed, "Those were always my favorite."

"Well, there might've been more truth to those stories than fiction." His father informed him before turning and starting down a hallway. The children all hurried to follow the inventor.

"You see, my grandfather was part of a secret organization; and this organization was protecting the purple dragon in my tales. He was one of the last dragons, and my grandfather did not want him hunted down like the rest of his kin. So one day, when the dragon brought home an injured friend, and the friend begged my grandfather to hide the dragon away, he did. Grandfather told everyone in his secret organization that the dragon had died, so that the dragon could live safely, away from everyone who knew it existed."

"But you know he exists." The smallest piped up again. Teo and the others nodded.

"Yeah, he must've told somebody that the dragon still existed."

"Ah, I never said he told no one about the dragon. In fact, he told my father the story and took him to meet Mako, that's the dragon's name. When I was old enough, my father passed on the stories to me, and also took me to meet him." The inventor explained, leading the children deeper and deeper into the mountain.

"Are you going to take us to meet him?" Teo asked excitedly. It was be so cool to meet a dragon!

"No," His father replied, shaking his head. "When the valley flooded, and we moved here, it was too risky for Mako to stay close. I don't know where he is living now, only that it is somewhere in the mountains. So, the last time I saw him I told him that if he was ever needed, or if it was ever safe for him to come here, I would signal him."

"How?" Teo asked his father as he came to rest in an empty stone passageway.

The man grinned. "Like this." Slipping his hand into an unnoticed crack in the wall, he pulled down on a giant level. Instantly, the whole mountain shook as the loudest horn they had ever heard sounded.

The mechanist cackled happily as the sound echoed through the air. Just because Mako's friend had promised to be subtle, didn't mean he had to be!

* * *

Everyone living in the temple was gathered around in the courtyard, watching the clouds and the nearby peaks.

The Mechanist hadn't told anybody but the children who was coming, and why he had sounded such a horn, but they were all curious. As long as they weren't about to be blown up, they typically didn't care what the man got up to.

"When's he going to get here?" A child asked the inventor, who simply smiled at the boy and shrugged.

"Whenever Mako wants to appear I suppose. Remember children, this isn't just any animal, but a very intelligent being who has been living here for longer than any of us."

"Wait," A woman spun around and stared at the man in disbelief. "What on earth have you summoned here?!"

Everyone else started whispering anxiously to each other; do doubt remembering the recent battle with the Fire Nation.

"A friend." The man replied simply, as suddenly massive wing beats filled the air. With a large gust of wind, the massive purple dragon darted out from the cloudbank below them.

A few people screamed, others pointed, but the children all cheered.

Mako circled the entire temple once before landing on the courtyard edge, his claws digging into the ground. Glancing dismissively at the children, Mako focused his attention on the inventor. His large golden eyes bore into the man, who simply smiled and stepped forward.

"Old friend, it seems that I have a message for you."

* * *

"Nephew, why are you burning a large face onto the deck of the boat?" Iroh asked, stepping out onto the deck some time later.

"Uncle, you're awake!" Zuko exclaimed happily, glad that the man was up and about. He had been starting to worry about Iroh, he wasn't exactly young… oh how nice it was to be the young one out of the two.

Fire danced fluidly around the teen and with one final blast of controlled fire, the smiley face was complete. It was as large as the deck, and would be seen clearly from the sky.

"Yes, now, why are you burning the boat?" Iroh asked, obviously wanted to focus on one problem at a time. Respecting that, Zuko shrugged.

"When we were little, whenever we'd get separated from Chey and couldn't get back, we'd burn large pictures into the ground, so that she could see them from the sky and find us." The prince gestured at the smiley face burnt onto the deck. "I thought the same concept would work now, to help Mako find us."

"I see," Iroh said, though you could tell he really didn't. "I assume that Mako and Chey were your own dragon teachers?"

Zuko blinked, looking at Iroh in shock. First at how easily his uncle was apparently taking this – besides fainting – and then at what exactly he said. "You mean you never heard _why_ I was the Fire Lord's dog for two whole reins?"

Iroh shrugged, "I heard that you had committed treason, but no one ever told me the specifics and the documents from your trial suspiciously vanished when I was a child."

Zuko shook his head in dismay. Of course the transcripts vanished. "Sozin addressed me in front of the court when I was twenty-two as Kuzon of the Dragons. Because I had been more or less adopted by a green dragoness when I was thirteen and had spent the nine years before the trial growing up alongside of her son, Mako who's purple."

"Ah," Iroh hummed, before blinking. "Wait, you mean this purple dragon of yours is still alive?!"

Zuko grinned, "Unless something happen to him in the past seventeen years, yes; and I doubt anything has, considering I left him with a member of the White Lotus."

Iroh just stared at his nephew, slowly shaking his head. "It astounds me Prince Zuko, for all your hatred for the game; it was you who taught me how to play Pai Sho!"

The prince chuckled, "I assume the white lotus strategy and passcode I taught you came in handy eventually, then?"

"Yes," Iroh nodded, "soon after Lu Ten's death in fact. They were able to help me get out of a rather… embarrassing situation. I'm a Grand Master now."

"Are you?" Zuko asked in surprise. "Impressive. I never officially joined, though I did have quite a few Dragonflies in the organization."

That was actually how he had found Bumi eventually, and how the two had stayed in contact until his death. Speaking of which, he should really let his friend know that he was alive…sorta.

"Dragonflies?" Iroh asked, getting his own thoughts back on track. While he was having a slightly easier time wrapping his head around what Zuko had told him, there were way too many holes in the story.

He wanted to know everything.

"Well, Prince Zuko, I think I would like the full story now, especially the reason why the Spirits decided to bring you back and what these Dragonflies of yours are."

"From the beginning?" Zuko asked, and no, it was not a whine! He was too dignified to whine!

Iroh nodded, ignoring the prince's town with finely tuned practice. "From the beginning."

The assassin-reborn-prince sighed. "Might as well put on a pot of tea then."

Iroh beamed.

* * *

"So, Roku and the other spirits allowed you to come back early and have access to your memories because not only where you childhood friends with our young Avatar, but because you also swore to find him, thus spending the majority of your life as Kuzon trying to track him down? Only to be reborn as my nephew and being given the same task, to find the Avatar." Iroh summarized rather well, the general didn't mention his Dragonflies, but they hadn't really been important enough to be mentioned.

Zuko nodded, "The ages match up too if you think about it. I was banished at thirteen as Zuko, and I swore to find Aang at age thirteen a hundred years ago. Not to mention the fact that my death and birth line up pretty well as well."

"Well, I dare say that you've succeeded in your quest then." Iroh grumbled, wondering why it was his best friend/mentor/nephew that ended up being the Spirits' plaything. He dismissed the thought. He knew Spirits well enough to know that he would probably never know the reason behind the beings' actions.

"Well, that is certainly a tale, Prince Zuko." Iroh paused suddenly, his eyes widening just a bit as he thought of something.

"Unless you would prefer Kuzon?" He asked this slowly, as if dreading the answer. He adored his best friend, but he also loved his nephew. He did not want to sacrifice one for the other, but he didn't want his nephew to be gone as well.

As if the prince knew what he was thinking, Zuko shook his head. "I am Kuzon, but I am also Zuko. I'm a mix of the two, and don't worry, the temper I had as Zuko didn't just vanished. It's just more… restrained and refined with Kuzon's age mixed in."

Zuko glanced towards the horizon and sighed, "A rather insane, obsessive old assassin isn't needed here, and honestly, neither is a rude, bitter, obsessive prince." He met Iroh's gaze and held it. "I'm going to have to become someone else, something else. Because, uncle… Roku gave me one last message before sending me back.

"The spirits are in danger."

* * *

The hawk returned that night, and Zuko knew that Mako would soon be following. Writing one more letter, he slid it into the slot on the hawk's back, and sent the bird off.

This time, the unnamed hawk traveled south. There was one more friend who deserved to know he was back.

* * *

In Omashu, King Bumi listened to the numerous reports from his scouts and scanned the latest report from the current Master Fly. It appeared that not only was there a large fleet of ships moving towards the Northern Water Tribe, but an army was marching towards Omashu as well.

"…however, we are not out matched! Our walls have held for one hundred years…" The soldier's report as interrupted as a hawk suddenly flew in through a window.

"Fire Nation!" A random soldier yelled, causing everyone but Bumi to snap to attention and drop into bending stances.

"Calm yourselves!" Bumi scolded the soldiers as the hawk came to rest on the arm of his throne. "This hawk does not have a crest. Besides, were you really planning on throwing rocks at a bird?"

The soldiers looked sheepish as they relaxed. Bumi removed the message and began to read as the hawk took off back through the window, probably to hunt.

The soldiers all waited silently as the king read. Ten minutes soon became twenty, and still the king said nothing. A half hour came and went, and it was forty-five minutes before Bumi moved again.

With a hysterical cackle, Bumi slumped over in his throne, banging his fist against the armrest.

The room started to shake as Bumi continued to laugh, and the soldiers panicked. All the time, Bumi just cackled as they fled the room. Eventually, the shaking stopped and the hysterical laughter calmed.

It was nice to know that they had both managed to fulfill their vows.

Now softly chuckling to himself, Bumi smirked. "Oh, he's a mad genius!"

* * *

Iroh jerked to wake behind Zuko as a loud roar echoed across the sky. Zuko glanced up out of the cabin's window and over the wheel towards the sky. A wide smile stretched across his lips as he dashed out of the cabin and out onto the deck. Iroh was quick to step up and take the wheel. His eyes searched the dark, cloudy sky.

The Dragon of the West's eyes widened as out of seemingly nowhere, a large purple dragon dropped onto the deck. The whole boat rocked, and Iroh nodded, seeing Mako's size. Zuko had been very smart to insist on a boat of this size. Mako would've sunk the ship otherwise, and even now the dragon caused the boat to sink dangerously low in the water.

Iroh couldn't hear what Zuko said as he came to a stop in front of the large purple dragon. But there was barely a pause before Mako's neck snaked around Zuko in a dragon hug.

A smile stretched across the old general's face as he saw Zuko hug the dragon back. Only to blink in surprise as Mako suddenly twisted around, grabing the back of Zuko's shirt between his teeth, and tossing the prince overboard.

Iroh burst out laughing as the dragon settled down on the deck, radiating smugness.

Oh yes, Iroh believed that he and Mako would get along just fine.

* * *

"I know your upset with me," Zuko grumbled as he climbed back onto the boat, completely soaked. "But did you really have to toss me overboard?"

Mako snorted, blowing a cloud of smoke at Zuko in response. The prince coughed, using his flames to push the smoke away.

"Alright, alright. You got your payback, are you happy now?" The damn and smoking prince asked, arms crossed over his chest and his golden eyes narrowed.

Mako tilted his head to the side, before sending a small ball of fire flying towards Zuko.

It happened to quickly that Zuko didn't even have time to dodge. The fire flew over his head, and at first he thought that Mako had missed. Then he felt something very hot on top of his head.

Zuko's eyes widened as Mako started chuckling – or at least the dragon version of chuckling.

"My hair!" Zuko exclaimed, trying and failing to put the dragon fire ontop of his head out. "Why did you have to attack my hair?"

Mako huffed, rolling his eyes and swatting his reborn bother with his tail. Finally, the fire went out. Sadly – or not so sadly depending on how you look at it – Zuko's phoenix tail was completely burned away. Leaving the boy almost completely bald, besides a small diamond patch of hair.

Feeling the top of his head, Zuko glared at the dragon. He had forgotten how much of a handful Mako could be.

"If you didn't like my hair you could've just said! There was no need to burn it off!" Zuko yelled at his reptilian brother. The dragon just rolled his large golden eyes and settled down into a more comfortable position on the deck.

"Well," Zuko muttered after a small moment of silence. "I had been planning on cutting it off anyway…"

Mako purred smugly. He enjoyed being right.

"Oh, shut up you." Zuko muttered as he looked up at the bridge, and could see his uncle laughing hysterically through the window.

Great. He was never going to live this down.

* * *

"Nephew, would you explain _why_ you want me to accept Zhao's offer? He tried to kill you!" Iroh exclaimed, losing his legendary patience quickly. He didn't understand whatever plan Zuko was concocting.

"Yes," Zuko admitted, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "But that is exactly why I need you to accept the offer. I have a vague idea as to what Zhao's planning, but we need more information. Not only is Aang and the Northern Water Tribe in danger, but the Spirits as well.

"We need to figure out what Zhao's doing to endanger the Spirits; and while I am having my Dragonflies work on the issue, none of them have the access to Zhao and his plans that you would if you took his offer."

Zuko paused, turning to look at Iroh out of the corner of his eye. "Besides, this way you can keep an eye on the man who's killed me twice."

Iroh's whole body tensed before the older man relaxed. "Alright, I'll go along with your plan, Prince Zuko."

Zuko nodded, and continued to fill in his uncle on the details. One of his Dragonflies had already obtained a small boat for Iroh, and he would be dropping his uncle off at the next port to rendezvous with the fleet that was already underway.

Sure, he could just give Iroh this boat and fly north on Mako but the dragon was too noticeable. Besides, he had learned that having a secondary means of escape was vital.

By sailing there, they would arrive at roughly the same time as the fleet. This was the safer option. Zuko was very aware that Aang and his friends would hesitate to trust him, not to mention the Northern Water Tribe. If he simply flew in and tried to warn them, they most likely wouldn't believe him; and he had no intention of getting put in a cell.

It was better to show up at the same time as the attackers and actively work against them. That would show what side Zuko was really on without him ending up in a cell – immediately that was.

On the bright side, he would have some kind of hair by the time they reached the North Pole.

Then Mako and Iroh would stop laughing at him.

Hopefully.

* * *

Iroh was incredibly glad that he had gained such self-control over the years. He didn't believe that he would've been able to sit across from his nephew and mentor's killer sipping tea peacefully two decades ago. By Agni he could barely believe that he was doing it now!

He didn't completely agree with his nephew's plan, but he did see the merit in it. Sadly, he agreed that Zuko had little chance of convincing anyone of his change in loyalty without proving it in battle against his own people. This was something neither man was looking forward to, but both had agreed that it was necessary.

Before Iroh had left, Zuko had filled him in on his many secrets, including his history with the White Lotus and some of the details regarding the Dragonflies. Iroh had been incredibly impressed with the network Kuzon had managed to build, astonished at how wide the organization had grown in recent years, and even more impressed that there was little resistance in Zuko taking command once again. It was also difficult for him to imagen how Kuzon's life must have been like, constantly being between stuck between a rock and a hard place, while being the Fire Lord's pawn.

At least his nephew/old friend had learned how to play the Fire Lord right back; otherwise things would probably be very different in the world.

Iroh sipped at his tea, pulling himself from his thoughts. There would be time to recollect at another time. Now he had to be at his best, and tread carefully.

"I am devastated to hear about Prince Zuko." Zhao said, trying and failing to sound sincere. "Just devastated."

"The Fire Lord will not be pleased when he learns who was responsible." Iroh said slowly, his face impassive as Zhao narrowed his eyes at the old man. Iroh could tell that Zhao was suspicious. It had been days since Zuko's "death" after all, and while it could be brushed off as time spent in mourning, it was still enough of a gap for Zhao to get suspicious.

But Iroh couldn't help but get that little jibe in. The man had been responsible for his nephew's death twice – even if he did come back (in a fashion) each time.

"You know who was behind the attack?" Zhao asked, trying and failing to keep his expression completely nonchalant.

"Indeed," Iroh said, nodding slowly. Suddenly, the man slammed his fist down on the table, careful not to spill his tea. "Pirates."

"We had an unfortunate run-in with them a while back. They wanted revenge, and apparently had no qualms in waiting for it."

Zhao's lips twitched up into a satisfied smirk behind his cup, but Iroh saw it anyway. He didn't win Pai Sho constantly by being unobservant.

"So," Zhao said, changing the subject now that the majority of his suspicions were dealt with. "Have you reconsidered my offer?"

"Yes," Iroh said slowly. "I apologize for my delayed arrival. It would be an honor to serve as your general."

Zhao smirked as Iroh raised his cup of tea.

"To the Fire Nation."

"To victory."

As Iroh sipped the brew, his own lips twitched into a smirk.

To victory indeed.

* * *

Later that evening, as Iroh was returning from dinner, an older sailor paused and smiled at the man.

"It is an honor to serve with you, General Iroh." The sailor exclaimed, clasping Iroh's forearm and bowing.

"The honor is mine," Iroh replied with a kind smile and a nod as the man stepped back and continued on his way.

Iroh resumed his trek to his quarters, slipping his hands into his sleeves, the small slip of paper securely hidden in his fist.

Oh yes, Iroh was very impressed with Zuko's Dragonflies.

* * *

The weeks passed quickly, as Zuko found himself rather busy. Using unmarked messenger hawks, the usual system, and an old code, he communicated frequently with his uncle and the rest of his network. While discussing the future with Mako, Zuko had begun to make plans that went beyond simply convincing Aang of his loyalties (and identity) and the invasion of the North. Zuko knew that Sozin's comet would arrive by the end of the summer, and knowing his father, Ozai was sure to use its power for complete devastation of the Firenation.

Zuko also caught up on what had been going on during his seventeen year absence, and what had changed in the world. He was particularly disgusted at the reports that came in regarding Ba Sing Se. Sure, the Dai Li's crimes against the people weren't exactly news, but it had definitely escalated to a horrifying scale. Kuzon had already been planning Long Feng's assassination when he had been killed, and now Zuko was beginning to work towards the same goal. Thankfully, he had many Dragonflies in the higher ranks of the Dai Li. Which was dangerous, but considering they had yet to be discovered in seventeen years, Zuko did not believe that they would be discovered now, no matter what brainwashing techniques they had come up with.

While many of his agents had passed away during his absence, the organization did not suffer for it. As his Dragonflies had proven, the group had only gotten stronger in the past seventeen years. In fact, many of his Fire Nation Dragonflies had risen through the ranks, and were now more privy to important, classified information. They were no longer just a network of spies, but almost a fourth party in the war, one that simply fought in the shadows.

He couldn't be more proud.

But Zuko would make up for his many mistakes over the past century. Aang wouldn't be fighting this war alone, or in the shadows. Zuko would make sure of it.

* * *

Finally, after many long weeks, everything they had been preparing for was coming to a head. Zuko thought grimly to himself as he followed the grey, soot filled clouds at a distance. He was dressed in black and purple from head to toe, not clearly allying him with any Nation. The only difference between his current outfit and his Blue Spirit one was the fact that the black fabric was lined with purple and he had purple fabric wrapped around his arms and waist. The purple was naturally the exact shade of Mako's scales. His duo swords were sheathed on his back and his Blue Spirit mask was tucked into his tunic, just in case he needed it.

Mako hummed beside him, nudging Zuko with his snout. The large dragon was clearly excited to leave the small (to him) boat, although he was anxious about the upcoming battle.

"I know," Zuko said quietly, patting his brother reassuringly.

Mako huffed, and Zuko smiled at he dragon. "Oh, don't worry. I'll be sure to get you some armor crafted before we face my father, alright?"

Mako nodded, pleased with Zuko's answer. The prince chuckled, before looking out onto the horizon and taking a deep breath.

Change was in the wind, and my, what change it would be.

* * *

"This will truly be one for the history books, General Iroh." Zhao said smugly, practically radiating pride as he and Iroh stood, gazing at the horizon, where the Northern Watertribe lay just out of sight.

Iroh said nothing, keeping his face a perfect emotionless mask. He slightly hated the fact that he actually agreed with Zhao for once, though not for the same reason.

"Just think: centuries from now people will study the great Admiral Zhao, who destroyed the last of the Water Tribe civilization." Zhao continued on, and Iroh clenched his fists from saying anything.

"You're lucky you're here to see it." Zhao snapped, and Iroh almost sighed. Sadly, Iroh hadn't managed to hide all of his contempt and dislike of the man from Zhao, and so the admiral was usually even worse to be around than before.

"Be careful what you wish for, Admiral." Iroh finally said, his gaze heavy as he looked towards the Water Tribe. "History is not always kind to its subjects."

"I suppose you speak from experience." Zhao said, for once not sounding completely condescending or dismissive.

"But, rest assured," Iroh almost relaxed as Zhao's brashness returned. "This will be nothing like your legendary failure at Ba Sing Se."

"No," Iroh agreed slowly. "I suppose it won't be."

"Tell the captains to prepare for the first strike." Zhao ordered, and Iroh turned to comply.

He couldn't wait to get off this ship, and only part of it had to do with pride. Iroh was a general, not a messenger boy. But it seemed like Zhao continuously forgot that fact.

Oh well, Iroh sighed. He only had to put up with it for a little while longer.

* * *

A light flickered from the tower of the last ship. It blinked into existence four times before fading out completely. With a grim look of determination, Zuko lowered his spyglass.

Raising his hood and bringing up his scarf to cover his nose, he climbed onto Mako's back.

"It has begun."

* * *

Determination filled the steel grey eyes as the second fireball crashed into the Water Tribe's thick wall.

"Yip yip." Aang commanded Appa as they took off towards the leading scout ship. It was the only one currently in sight, and Aang was determined to protect the people of the Northern Water Tribe.

He hadn't been there when his own people were attacked; he was going to make a difference now.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me." Aang looked on in horror as the rest of the fleet came into view. There were countless ships, and Aang suddenly doubted whether or not they could actually win this fight.

Just as Appa approached the fleet, a loud thunderous roar split the heavens and a huge blast of fire rained down upon the first row of ships.

"What?!" Aang exclaimed in surprise as out of a wisp of a cloud, a large purple dragon appeared.

Aang's eyes widened as he saw watched the large beast twist in the air, coming around for another sweeping attack against the fleet.

Fire balls filled the air as the panicing officers tried to down the dragon. Aang watched, stunned, as one got particularly close to the dragon's side, only for it to be blown to pieces in an colorful explosion of flame.

Narrowing his eyes, Aang just managed to catch a glimpse of a figure in black as it climbed back onto the dragon's back, before the two were on the opposite side of the fleet.

"Come on, Appa." Aang said, steering the bison towards the fleet. His heart suddenly felt lighter, and determination once again filled his eyes as he watched the dragon and dragon-rider attack ship after ship.

Maybe there was hope for them yet.

* * *

A roar cut through the air, causing every man, woman, and child in the Water Tribe to freeze, and look towards the sky.

They couldn't make anything out with the naked eye, but Katara and Soka shared a look. That hadn't sounded like Appa.

Maybe they weren't alone in this fight.

* * *

The fleet froze, officers stilling as a roar vibrated through the air. Many cried out in horror, but more in pain and shock as fire suddenly reigned down from the heavens, causing many of the frontline ships to catch fire.

Those whose ships hadn't been attacked, looked up and screamed, as they saw a large purple dragon dive out of the clouds.

"DRAGON!" The cry vibrated through the fleet as fire reigned down once more, and fireballs flew. One got dangerously close to Mako's size, but the fireball was destroyed at the last moment by a colorful burst of fire.

Battle cries filled the air as more fireballs launched. Eyes wide with horror, the crew of a ship scattered as the dragon landed on their deck. In a swift movement, the frontmost caterpult was within its claws, and a second later, the metal machine was ripped in two.

"Attack men!" A high ranking officer ordered, "The Fire Nation does not run from a fight!"

Although it was obvious some of the sailors disagreed with the man, they charged forward towards the dragon. Before they could even attack however, they were blasted back by colorful flame. Before the fire even cleared, a black clad figure attacked, swiftly and deadly the man battled, horrifying the sailors even further as they realized that the dragon had a rider, and that rider was a firebender.

The purple dragon finished destroying the catapults, and even tore a hole into the deck while the bender kept the soldiers off of his friend.

"Traitor!" the cry rang up on the ship and one officer was timidly explaining to Zhao what was going on.

With a beat of its wings, the dragon launched itself off the ship, twisting high into the sky only to come back down as sweep along the side of the ship just as the rider jumped overboard. He landed safely on the dragon's back, and with one final burst of flame damaging the hull, they flew off towards the next ship in line.

* * *

Time stretched on, and although many ships fell to Aang, Zuko and the waterbenders, there was still a large amount by the time the sun began to fall.

Iroh was still aboard Zhao's ship, attempting to figure out just how Zhao was going to put the spirits in danger. It was the one part of the plan that Iroh had never heard from Zhao's lips, although he knew it existed because of Roku's warning to Zuko. He just had to be patient.

Which was rather difficult when Zhao was threatening to toss officers overboard because of his nephew.

"Why is that dragon still in the sky?!" Zhao roared, his usual composer gone. "I want it shot down, and that traitor killed!"

It was the only thing Zhao seemed to care about. It didn't matter how many ships he lost, or that the Avatar was here. He was obsessing over Zuko and Mako, wanting to kill the dragon and the traitor that they had seen bend flames.

"It's almost twilight, admiral." Iroh said simply as he approached, probably keeping the young officer from getting struck. "As your military consultant I must advise you to halt your attack. Waterbenders draw their power from the moon, and it is nearly full tonight. You should wait and resume your attack at daybreak."

"Oh, I'm well aware of the moon problem." Zhao practically hissed as he tried to regain his composure. "and a solution is in the works. What I am currently more interested in is your advice on how to deal with this traitor."

Zhao turned and glared at Iroh, "As my Military Consultant, _Dragon of the West_ , refresh my memory. Didn't you claim to have slain the last dragon?"

"Yes," Iroh said slowly, nodding as he folded his arms. "I did slay what I believed to be the last dragon."

"Well obviously, you were wrong." Zhao said, his eyes narrowed at the older man.

"Apparently." Iroh agreed, wondering just what Zhao had planned.

"Tell me, if we stop attacking do you believe that the traitor and his beast will withdraw?" Zhao asked, suddenly changing topics.

"Hmm," Iroh said, stroking his beard. He honestly had no idea what Zuko was planning for tonight, so he didn't lie when he said, "I cannot say, Admiral. But surely the man is tired after fighting for so long."

Zhao was silent for a long time, before nodding once.

"Daybreak it is."

And the fleet stilled.

* * *

"Aang!" Katara's voice echoed through the air as the boy and bison returned to the city. They both flopped down tiredly, Aang rubbing his head.

"I can't do it." He said tiredly, "Even with the dragonrider's help, I just can't do it."

"What happened?" Katara asked as she got closer, having not heard him muttering about the dragon and its rider.

"I must've taken out a dozen Fire Navy ships, and the dragon and its rider took out at least twice as many! But there's just too many of them, we can't fight them all."

"But you have to! You're the avatar!" Yue exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear.

"I'm just a kid." The boy replied, shaking his head in exhaustion. Why did everyone always forget that he was just a kid?

"Wait," Katara suddenly said, her blue eyes widening. "What's this about a dragon and dragonrider. Is that was we heard earlier? It's roar?"

Aang nodded tiredly.

"They took out at least two dozen ships, the purple dragon and its rider. Even though he could only bend fire, he was faster than I was sabotaging the ships!" Aang exclaimed, rubbing his forehead as he closed his eyes briefly.

"Did you just say that the dragonrider is a firebender?" Katara exclaimed in shock as Yue covered her gasp with her gloves.

Aang just nodded tiredly, only to jump to his feet as a roar, not nearly as ferocious as the last one, cut through the air.

Looking up, everyone in the city saw the large purple dragon circle the tribe once before flying off towards the cliffs.

"Well," Katara said slowly. "I guess they all couldn't be bad."

Aang smiled weakly at his friend.

* * *

Night fell and the moon rose as Zuko kept himself warm beneath Mako's wing. The freezing weather had little effect on the large dragon, whose inner fire kept him nice and warm. The ice beneath them was slowly melting from the heat that Mako's scales gave off. The two shared a small packet of dried meat that they had brought with them, as Zuko awaited his uncle's reply.

It was too risky to use hawks, too many eyes that could accidentally see it. Light signals were risky for the same reason, though no one would be able to decipher the code. Thus, one of his Dragonflies in the Water Tribe had slipped out in the dark to physically pass on the message to the Dragonfly on Zhao's ship. It was a lot of effort just to get a simple message to Iroh, but worth it. Zuko needed to know if the man had been successful in finding out how the spirits were in danger from Zhao yet.

"You did well today," Zuko said absently as he stroked Mako's scales.

Mako hummed in agreement, smoke trailed out of his nostrils. He nudged Zuko with his shoulder, but before Zuko was able to respond, a boomerang whistled by, and buried itself into the snow mere inches from Mako's wing and Zuko's foot.

Unwrapping the small piece of paper from the weapon, Zuko frowned as he read his uncle's message.

 _Zhao appears to be targeting the Moon Spirit._ _Methods yet unknown._

It wasn't nearly as much as he was hoping for, but it was better than nothing.

Picking up the boomerang, he tossed it off of the cliff in the direction it had come. While he was no boomerang master, hopefully he remembered how to throw one well enough for his Dragonfly to get his boomerang back.

"I'm going to head out." Zuko said to Mako, only for the dragon to shake its head and wrap Zuko tighter in his wing.

"Mako!" Zuko exclaimed, trying to push the large appendix away. "I need to warn Aang that Zhao is planning on attacking the Moon Spirit, if only because he's the bridge between the two worlds and might know how that is possible."

Mako grumbled, but after a moment, let Zuko go.

"Thank you," Zuko drawled as stepped away from his lifetime friend.

Mako huffed, blowing a small burst of fire at Zuko, which dissolved harmlessly before it even had a chance to reach him.

"I'll call you if I need you, alright?" Zuko said, knowing that Mako would be less worried if he could keep an ear out for him.

Mako nodded before curling up more securely in the snow. Zuko shivered as he pulled up the scarf, it was going to take him a few minute to adapt to the cold, now that he no longer had Mako to act as his furnace.

With a grimace, Zuko began making his way towards the edge of the cliff, and the city below.

Hopefully Zuko would be able to talk to Aang without Katara snooping around. Kind girl that she was to others, he knew that it would be incredibly difficult to get Katara to trust him. Which was partially his fault, he knew.

Well, here's to hoping.

* * *

Zuko crept carefully through the city, knowing that if he got caught he would have to reveal his identity, and that that wouldn't go too well. He was thankful that his hair had managed to grow back somewhat over the past few weeks, as it kept his head warm beneath his hood; and it had gotten Mako to stop laughing at him.

He crept carefully down a building, now scorning the fact he didn't choose to wear white or blue. Black stood out glaringly obviously against the ice crafted city, even at night. But the moon was high and the night bright and Zuko couldn't afford to get caught.

Sliding around a wall, he ducked into a drainage pipe, where an older man in his fifties was waiting. His hair was grey and his face lined but he nodded to Zuko as he appeared.

"The Avatar, the Princess and the Southern Water Bender have gone to the oasis." The Dragonfly said quietly, withdrawing a small scroll and passing the map to Zuko.

"Have there been many casualties?" Zuko asked the waterbending Dragonfly, who simply shook his head.

"There could've been a great many more, Amber Heir, had you not intervened."

Zuko nodded, satisfied with the answer. It was interesting, how quickly his Dragonflies had chosen Zuko's new title. While it wasn't quite as prestigious as Amber Master, it was suiting, and thankfully not humiliating.

"Thank you," Zuko said, nodding to the informant. "Keep me apprised of anything of importance."

With two solemn nods, they parted ways. Zuko had an old friend to find.

* * *

Zuko heard Aang and his friend long before he saw them.

"How about some quiet?!" Aang exclaimed, his voice echoing up the cliffs to where Zuko was climbing down. He had ended up having to take the long way around to the oasis, since there were so many waterbenders patrolling.

Zuko couldn't help the small smile that spread across his lips at the sound of Aang's voice. Sure, he had spoken to and seen the young airbender as Zuko, but he wasn't just the prince anymore; and this was the first time since remembering that he had heard his old friend's voice.

Zuko quickly scolded himself as continued the climb down. He wasn't sure what Aang was attempting to achieve by coming to the oasis, but he had a fairly good idea.

"Come on guys," Aang's voice echoed as Zuko melted more ice into hand and footholds. "I can hear every word you're saying."

Zuko couldn't help but chuckle. Aang always had been easy to distract during meditation.

Climbing down faster, Zuko looked over his shoulder at the three figures below him. Katara and who he assumed was the Water Tribe Princess stood just a few feet away from Aang, who sat cross-legged in front of a small koi pond. All of the sudden, his stomach tightened and a shiver ran down his spine. Zuko hurried, practically sliding down the ice instead of climbing. Urgency coursed through his veins but he was too late. Just as his feet touched the ground, Aang's eyes and tattoos lit up.

"Damn it." Zuko muttered to himself, resisting the urge to run a hand through his very short hair.

"Is he ok?" The princess asked and Zuko reevaluated his plan.

"He's crossing into the Spirit World. He'll be fine as long as we don't move his body. That's his way back to the physical world." Katara explained and Zuko sighed. Just dealing with the watertribe girls would take a lot of delicate handling. He grimaced; he hated delicate conversations, too many memories of the Palace, in both lifetimes.

"Maybe we should get some help?" The princess asked, and Zuko almost paniced. As much as he didn't want to deal with both watertribe girls, just dealing with Katara was one hundred times worse.

"No, he's my friend. I'm perfectly capable of protecting him."

"I'm glad to hear it, young bender." Zuko said before he could completely stop himself, causing both girls to spin around, their eyes wide with panic.

"Who're you?" Katara demanded as the Princess backed away slowly.

"A friend," Zuko said carefully, hoping that Katara didn't recognize his voice. "Aang probably mentioned me, my friend and I were attacking the Fire Natation Fleet earlier."

Katara's eyes narrowed at Zuko, while Yue looked back and forth between the two, not completely sure what to do.

"You're the dragonrider, the one who Aang says is a firebender."

"I am," Zuko said slowly, his hands still raised as he took a hesitant step forward.

"Well, what are you doing here?" Katara asked, her eyes narrowed at the black clad figure. "How did you even find us?"

"I came to speak with Aang," Zuko said truthfully, keeping his tone mild, hoping that it would help disguise his voice. He then turned and glanced over at his glowing friend.

"Something that does not seem possible at the moment." He muttered, almost to himself but the girls heard him nonetheless. "As to how I found you… I have my ways."

Katara's eyes narrowed even further, for some reason the dragonrider's voice sounded incredibly familiar, but she just couldn't place it.

"Why did you want to talk to Aang?" Katara questioned, still suspicious despite the fact that Aang had said he was on their side.

"I came to warn him," Zuko said truthfully. "Zhao is planning on attacking the Moon Spirit, and since Spirits are the Avatar's area of expertise…"

"What?!" Katara exclaimed, her eyes wide as Yue gasped and covered her mouth in horror.

"I must warn my father!" She exclaimed and ran off, leaving Zuko cursing repeatedly in his mind.

There was a tense moment of silence before Katara continued.

"And why should I trust you? From what Aang says, you're a firebender."

"I am," Zuko admitted. "But that doesn't mean I agree with what my people are doing, with what my people have done."

Katara stared at Zuko in thought before jerking her head towards the boy. "Prove it. Lower your hood."

Zuko swore under his breath, slowly shaking his head. "I'm afraid that's not the best idea."

Katara's eyes narrowed to slits, all of her suspicions returning in a flash. "What are you trying to hide?!"

Zuko didn't know how to reply to that comment so he stayed quiet.

It happened in a flash. Katara was suddenly moving, and a huge blast of water flew right at Zuko's face. With a twist and a light burst of flames he was able to deflect the worst of it, but he was still thrown backwards. He collided harshly with the cliff wall behind him, and his hood slid off his head at the impact, revealing his short, new grown hair, his eyes and the very distinctive scar that was only partially covered by the scarf.

"Zuko!" Katara exclaimed in shock before she shifted into a more aggressive stance. "Of course it was you! You just wanted me to leave you alone with Aang, didn't you!? This whole thing was a trick just so you could capture Aang!"

"Katara," Zuko sighed tiredly, keeping his arms raised over his head as he climbed to his feet. "Why would I attack my own fleet, work against the Fire Nation, fly in on a dragon, and get labeled a traitor simply to capture Aang?"

The fact that he called the avatar by his name completely went over Katara's head. He could tell by her rage flooded eyes that it didn't matter what he said, she wouldn't believe him.

"Firebenders never make sense." Katara shot back and was obviously done talking as another large wave of water rushed towards Zuko.

The dragonrider sighed, slipping into a kata and blasting the water away with an overpowered blast of colorful fire. He would be hard-pressed to beat Katara here. Not only was it night, but the moon was practically full. He would have to fight carefully, using his century of experience to keep an upper hand – at least until the sun rose.

Not that he really wanted to fight her at all, but he had to talk to Aang; and if that meant playing the bad, evil firebender for Katara, then so be it.

"It seems you've found a Master." Zuko commented as he strode forward, blasting aside a waterwhip aimed at his head. "I do hope Paku hasn't been causing you too much trouble."

"What?!" Katara exclaimed incredulously, freezing in shock and allowing Zuko to dart forward. He sent a small blast at her feet to unbalance her, but before he could get closer to deliver a head blow, he was blasted back as a wave hit him in the side.

"Stop lying!" Katara snarled and Zuko sighed, rolling to his feet. He actually wasn't lying. He had met Paku once at a White Lotus meeting he had snuck into, and knew him very well by reputation. The man had almost discovered one of his Dragonflies once, about twenty years ago. His network had kept an eye on the powerful waterbender ever since. So he was very aware how sexist Paku was.

Darting forward, Zuko sent two blasts of fire at Katara, coming from two separate directions, causing the girl to dodge as well as put up a shield to block the attack. Unsheathing his swords, he rolled under another attack and sent a wave of fire towards Katara's back. The girl blocked, twisting the water from the ground and nearby river in a large attack, but was not expecting Zuko to step up right beside her and kick her back, his swords now coated in flames as he continued to advance. Benders rarely fought hand to hand, something he had taken advantage of many times when he was the Fire Lord's personal assassin.

He was blocked yet again from knocking the girl out as she used her position on the ground to her advantage. With a few spins, she was back on her feet and a huge wave crashed into Zuko. But that was not the end. Katara was now angry, and she bended the water rapidly, sending blast after blast straight at Zuko's chest, faster than he could block. He was thrown back against the canyon wall, the opposite one this time, and was instantly frozen in place.

Zuko's head throbbed as his body tingled from the cold. But he did not move. Instead, he focused on his breathing, feeling the sun rising in the east. Katara no longer had the advantage.

Taking one last deep breath, he melted the ice holding him in place. Glancing sadly at the young waterbender, Zuko said as he dropped to the ground,

"You should never turn your back on your opponent, even if you believe they are beaten." In two swift moves, Zuko dodged under her attack and knocked her over the head with the hilt of his sword.

His eyes softening as he stared at the young, unconscious teenager, Zuko sighed.

"Forgive me," He said, shifting her into a more comfortable position, before sending a sharp whistle through the morning air.

A moment later, Aang was in his arms as Mako came to land besides him. Giving Zuko a disapproving look, the three took off, quickly gone from sight.

* * *

"It's daybreak at last." Zhao exclaimed, the twitch of his eyebrow the only sign of his impatience. He had finally regained some composure, which was reassuring to Iroh. Zhao was dangerous when angry.

"Let's write history."

Iroh didn't even look at Zhao, hoping that his nephew was successful in warning the Avatar. With the winter nightfall only a few hours away, their window of time was swiftly coming to a close.

* * *

 **"Hello, Aang." Aang's reflection morphed and the young avatar looked down in surprise.**

 **"Roku!?"**

 **The previous Avatar simply smiled.**

 **"Roku," Aang said suddenly, remembering why he was there. "The water tribe is under attack! I need to find the ocean and the Moon Spirits."**

 **Aang's reflection rose up out of the water, forming Avatar Roku, who looked thoughtfully at Aang.**

 **"Indeed, you do. But not for the reason you think." Roku stated gravely and Aang gave him a puzzled look. "The ocean and the moon are ancient spirits. They crossed over from the spirit world to the mortal world very near the beginning; and now, they are in very grave danger."**

 **"What?!" Aang exclaimed, flinching back in surprise. "How are they in danger!?"**

 **"There is an old friending waiting for you in the Mortal world, he can explain. Right now you have a more important task, you must find the location of the ocean and the Moon Spirits. And there is only one Spirit I know of who is old enough to remember…"**

 **"Who?" Aang asked, his grey eyes wide as he tried to comprehend the fact that the Spirts he was looking for where in danger.**

 **"His name is Koh; but he is very dangerous. They call him "The Face Stealer", when you speak with him, you must be very careful not to show any emotion at all. Not even the slightest expression or he will steal your face." Avatar Roku warned, and a look for horror flashed across Aang's face.**

 **But it passed quickly, and Aang nodded in determination.**

* * *

"Katara!" Soka exclaimed as Appa landed in the oasis. His sister groaned, but managed to sit up by the time he sprinted over.

"What happened? Where's the dragonrider?" The older boy asked, while Yue watched in worry from Appa's saddle. Soka had sent by her father to escort the Dragonrider to him, along with the Avatar and Katara. They needed everyone they had on the frontlines, the Fire Nation had breached the city.

"It was trap!" Katara exclaimed, her eyes alight with fury. "The dragonrider was Zuko, and he took Aang!"

"What?!" Soka exclaimed, mouth dropping and eyes widening.

"Come on!" Katara practically growled, running towards Appa. "We have to find him!"

Soka's expression hardened and he nodded.

"Let's go find Aang."

* * *

"I know taking him wasn't the best idea!" Zuko growled, scowling at Mako as batted away the flames. The wind was howling outside of the dragon-wing tent they were taking shelter in. "But what else was I supposed to do? Aang's in the Spirit World, and Katara wouldn't listen to me once she figured out who I was."

Mako unhappily grumbled, the sound echoing from deep within his throat. He glared at Zuko again, and snorted smoke.

"Yes, yes, I know this isn't going to help them trust me, but Mako, what was I supposed to do?" Zuko glared right back at the dragon.

Obviously, Mako didn't know either, for he just huffed in irritation and closed his eyes.

Sighing, Zuko looked over at Aang.

"Please wake up soon,"

Until, all Zuko could do was hope that his plan would be enough.

* * *

Fireball after fireball reigned down upon the icy city. The mechanical tanks rolled forwards, rhinos roared and troops marched. The firenation was obviously taking advantage of their limited daylight hours.

Another wall sectioning off the city fell, and hope started to fade in the Waterbender's hearts as the Avatar and Dragonrider were nowhere to be seen. The smug smirk had yet to leave Zhao's lips since the sun rose. Iroh was beginning to worry about where his nephew was. Hopefully nothing had gone wrong with speaking to the Avatar.

"I don't need to remind you that we have a time limit." Iroh said slowly, looking at Zhao out of the corner of his eye. He would be so happy once his nephew's plan was successful, and he no longer had to support the annoying man.

"If we don't defeat the Water Tribe before the full moon rises, they will be undefeatable." Iroh said, turning and look at the man, trying to see if he could pull any more details out of the man regarding his plans for the Spirits.

"I assure you, I have everything under control. I intend to remove the moon as a factor."

"Remove the moon?" Iroh exclaimed in faked shock. "How?"

Finally! Some answers…

"Admiral Choi!"

Iroh almost groaned as a boy in an old Fire Nation uniform charged in. Really? Did they have to be interrupted now? Iroh looked closer at the boy and resisted to urge to face palm. Was this the Water Tribe's best attempt at an infiltration? The kid looked obviously out of place, was in an out of date uniform, and didn't even know the Admiral's name!

"Prepare to meet your fate!" The lad exclaimed as he ripped off his helmet and revealed his distinct Water Tribe features. Iroh sighed, the boy was cocky. Very cocky.

He lunged at the two and Iroh did nothing but shake his head sadly as in one swift move Zhao tossed the lad over the balcony and into the water.

After that terrible display, Iroh was incredibly impressed with the Dragonflies. They never would've done something that stupid.

"As I was saying," Zhao continued, and Iroh was pleased to see that the man's smug smirk was at least gone.

Now Iroh would finally learn the details they needed.

* * *

The Fleet's spirits were lifted, as the dragon and traitor were nowhere in sight. They were so excited, so focused on attacking the Water Tribe that not one sailor noticed the few dark shadows slipping off of their ships, and towards the rear of the fleet on briefly existing, ice paths. Soon, they would make their move.

* * *

The man took a deep breath, staring down at the deciphered parchment in his hand. The message had arrived through the normal channels two days before. Was this the right thing to do?

 _My Dragonflies,_

 _For too long has the Fire Nation been allowed to terrorize and conquer our world; for too long have the Dragons been forced into the shadows. Hidden and silent, we have come far. But the time for us to rise is upon us. The Avatar has returned, and together we shall stand._

 _We shall show the Fire Nation, and the world, that there is a fourth faction in this war. No longer will our battles be hidden in the night, in the alleyway shadows._

 _The Fire Nation is leading an invasion on the Northern Water Tribe, and Admiral Zhao, in his never ending hubris, plans on attacking the Spirits. Therefore, I plan to take a stand, to emerge from the shadows, and to say no more._

 _I plan on aiding the Avatar, and stopping Zhao. The balance of our world is already crumbling without Zhao angering the Spirits._

 _If I am unsuccessful, if we fail, I fear the ramifications._

 _I shall not order anyone to stand with me in the upcoming battle; I shall not make you step out of the shadows. In fact, many of you are needed where you are. The shadows will forever be our greatest advantage. However, if you are tired of the lies, of the death and destruction, and believe that you could do more fighting here in the light…those of you in the North, wait for the sign, and then step forth. Everyone else, you'll know when to make a move, if we fail._

 _For the rest of my Dragonflies, I am proud of how far your wings have spread these past seventeen years. You have grown strong._

 _May the Dragons soar free once again,_

 _Zuko of the Dragons_

 _Amber's Heir and Crown Prince of the Fire Nation_

The man couldn't believe that Prince Zuko was Amber's Heir. He wasn't even sure how it was possible. But he had been around when the Amber Master was still alive. He had even had the pleasure of meeting Kuzon once, long ago. His way with words was similar, and there was no doubt that Zuko knew all of the codes and protocols.

Now, the only question was: should he fight? Or stay where he was?

* * *

 **Aang took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts and schooling his features as he entered Koh's cave. It had been horrifying to see the monkey outside without a face, but he knew that he had to face this Spirit if he wanted to save the ocean and the moon.**

 **"Show no fear," He muttered to himself. "Show no emotion at all." And entered the cave.**

* * *

 **The walk was long, and Aang was beginning to wonder if Koh was even there.**

 **"Hello?" He asked hesitantly. The young avatar knew that time was running short, even if it did run differently in the Spirit World. "I'm looking for a Spirit named Koh."**

 **He heard something shifting behind him, and schooled his features just as Koh appeared before him.**

 **"Welcome." The spirit practically hissed, and it seemed disappointed when Aang simply bowed and thanked him.**

 **This would be an interesting encounter.**

* * *

"Don't worry! Prince Zuko couldn't have gotten far in this weather," Yue tried to assure her younger friend as the snow poured down around them.

"I don't know… he does have a dragon now." Soka commented offhandedly, causing both girls to glare at him.

"I'm not worried that they're going to get away in the blizzard. I'm worried they won't."

Yue wasn't sure how to respond to that, but Soka definitely had something to say.

"Katara, they're not gonna die in this blizzard. Zuko's new friend is a giant fire breathing monster, and besides, if we know anything it's that Zuko never gives up. They'll survive, and we'll find them."

No one brought up the possibility that Zuko had simply flown away. No one wanted to think about it.

* * *

 **"I need to find the moon and the ocean." Aang said, mentally sighing in relief once Koh was done monologing.**

 **"Their Spirt names are Tui and La." Koh corrected the boy, twisting around him. "Push and pull, and that has been the nature of their relationship for all time."**

 **"Please, help me find them. They're in danger."**

 **"Yes, someone is going to kill them. But then, your little friend knows all about that. Or at least, he will." Aang resisted the urge to blink or look surprised. Who was this friend the Spirits kept mentioning? "Besides, you've already met them."**

 **What?**

 **"Tui and La, your moon and ocean, have always circled each other in an eternal dance. They balance each other. Push and pull, life and death, good and evil, yin and yang." Koh continued, facing away from the boy.**

 **"The koi fish!" Aang exclaimed, suddenly realizing what Koh meant. But by the time Koh spun around, Aang's face was blank once again.**

 **"I must be going now." Aang said in a monotone, desperate to return to the physical world.**

 **"We'll meet again." Koh said as the young Avatar left. "And I do hope your friend knows what he's doing."**

* * *

 **"I know where they are! I need to get back to the physical world!" Aang exclaimed to his Roku reflection.**

 **"A friend is here to guide you back," Roku said with a small smile as he faded away, revealing a panda's reflection.**

 **"Hei Bai!" Aang exclaimed cheerfully, climbing on his friends back.**

 **Hopefully he wouldn't be too late.**

* * *

Iroh was now very worried. He hadn't seen his nephew or Mako at all today, and the full moon was now rising. The air suddenly seemed electrified, and Iroh had to suppress the urge to shiver. He watched the tides change, as the waterbenders struck back fiercely, and wondered just how long it would last.

"We'll be following this map to a very special location." Zhao said, "and when we get there… we're going fishing."

Iroh was very worried for his nephew and for everyone else as well.

* * *

"The moon has risen." Zuko commented to himself, but Mako huffed in agreement. Aang was still not responding, and he was starting to worry.

If Aang didn't wake up soon, he was going to have to try and stop Zhao himself; and considering he had killed him twice, Zuko wasn't exactly keen on that plan.

He really didn't want to die again.

* * *

Something bright caught Katara's eye, and she spun around just in time to see a blazing light streak towards a large snowy hill.

"Look, that's got to be Aang!" She exclaimed, and Soka steered Appa after the light.

They were coming.

* * *

Mako and Zuko stilled as a light burst through Mako's wing, causing Aang's tattoos to flare before fading. His eyes opened, and Zuko couldn't breathe. Finally, after all these years, after all of the pain and the sacrifices, his friend was here, finally he could make things right.

Zuko could tell that Aang was disoriented, so he said nother as the boy rubbed his eyes and looked around. Aang froze when he saw Zuko, but his eyes widened in shock as he took in the large purple dragon head resting next to him, and the fire burning between them.

Before Aang could say anything, Zuko spoke.

"Last time we met, I told you that we would've been great friends, but that things weren't that simple."

Aang's suspicious look faded, but hesitation shown clearly in his eyes. Zuko gave Aang a tired smile before continuing.

"Things are even less simple now, but I was wrong. I've… learned something recently; and once this is all taken care of, I have a story to tell you." Zuko shook his head, "An unbelievable story. But we don't have time for me to explain now. So, what do you say Aang? A truce until the Spirits are safe and the invasion is over?"

Aang's face lit up when Zuko used his name and he gave Zuko a proud smile.

"I knew you weren't all bad. You remind me too much of my friend Kuzon." Aang replied with a twinkle in his eye that faded into a confused glint as Zuko started laughing.

Even Mako started chuckling in amusement, making Aang look at the dragon oddly.

"Oh Aang," Zuko said fondly at his old friend. "You have no idea."

All of the sudden a loud thump was heard and the inside of the 'tent' shook as something collided with Mako's wing.

The dragon growled, his golden eyes narrowing as Zuko sighed.

"That'd be your friends. Sadly, Katara didn't react well to my identity and grabbing your body was the only way I could think of speaking to you… without being put in a cell." Zuko explained as he stood, stretching as Mako did the same, the layers of snow falling off his body as he unwound.

Mako huffed at Zuko and Aang watched on in amusement as Zuko shot him a dark look. "Well, I'm sorry if I didn't want to end up in a cell! It doesn't matter if I could've gotten out. I spent long enough on a leash in a gilded cage, thank you very much!"

"ZUKO! We know you're in there and we know you have Aang! Come out or we'll see how well you'll do against a waterbender powered by the full moon!"

"Alright, alright." Zuko muttered to himself as Aang got to his feet, the stupid grin still on his face. "Geez woman, calm yourself."

Aang snickered, but didn't get to say anything as Mako suddenly moved his wing, exposing them to the freezing temperatures, but thankfully not dumping any of the snow on them.

"Aang!" Katara exclaimed happily as the two groups were revealed to eachother.

"Get away from him." She threatened, suddenly doing a one eighty and glaring at Zuko.

"Katara! It's alright. He's on our side." Aang pipped up, the grin fading, but still playing at his lips. The three Water Tribe members froze, staring at Zuko in shock, causing him to roll his eyes and cross his arms.

"What? I tried to tell you Katara, but you didn't listen. If I was trying to capture Aang, why would I attack my own fleet? Why did I try to talk to you peacefully? Why wouldn't I just fly away with Mako once I had Aang? You know I'm technically a traitor now, right?"

Katara simply eyed him with suspicion as Yue and Soka exchanged glances.

"He does have a point you know." Soka said, scratching the back of his head.

"But…" Katara went to protest, but Aang cut her off. His eyes widening as he remembered what Roku and Koh had told him.

"We don't have time for this!" Aang said, taking a step forward and planting himself between the two. "The Ocean and Moon Spirits are in danger, we need to get back to the oasis!"

Zuko nodded in agreement, mentally hitting himself for getting off topic.

"There's no time to waste. Zhao is planning something to do with the Moon Spirit." Zuko said, causing the younger kids – mentally if nothing else – to share a wide eyed look.

"He's going to kill it!" Aang said, eyes wide with worry, causing Zuko to shutter and pale. He had learned a lot about the Spirits during his hunt for Aang, in both life times. Who knew what killing the Moon Spirit would do to the world?

Mako snorted, nudging Zuko in the side and gesturing for him to get on.

"Mako's right," Zuko said, getting strange looks from everyone but Aang. "We really need to go."

Everyone nodded, faces suddenly grim. Aang and his friends climbed aboard Appa as Zuko swung up onto Mako's back. The bison growled a bit as Mako stood up and stretched out his wings. The purple dragon hissed back, but Zuko hit Mako's neck.

"Stop it, that's Aang's bison. Show some respect for the kid who saved your egg." Zuko scolded the dragon, causing Aang to spin towards him in shock.

"What?!" Aang stared at Mako in surprise, was that really the dragon that he and Kuzon had saved as an egg?

"Later!" Zuko yelled as Aang nodded. The two large animals took off into the sky as Zuko grimly stared at the moon. He didn't want to believe it, but his instincts were telling him that they were too late.

* * *

Mako and Appa were flying as fast as they could (without leaving the bison behind) and they were almost back to the oasis when an electrical charge surged through the air. Aang and Zuko shared a look of horror just as the moon went red.

"I'll meet you there." The horror turned to determination as Zuko spoke. Aang pressed a hand to his head, but nodded anyway. Even he, who was a firebender, felt weaker without the moon in the sky. He figured it had something to do with the fact the Spirts had meddled in his reincarnation.

Eyes glinting, Zuko suddenly shoved his hands into a pouch as Mako took off at top speed, leaving the bison far behind.

* * *

All across the globe, people looked to the sky in horror as the moon went red. People cried, people panicked, and some people rejoiced. But a select group stared at the sky grimly, before turning and setting to work.

* * *

Within seconds Mako was high above the Northern Water Tribe, the red light glittering menacingly off his purple scales. There was a weight in the air that neither of them liked, but they knew what they had to do.

"Well, let's see if I remember how to do this." Zuko said humerously to Mako as he stood on his dragon's back. Mako grunted, and closing hid eyes, Zuko leaned back, dropping into the air.

Twisting so that he was facing down, Zuko counted to three, then he clapped his hands together and called upon his fire. The powder covering his hands sparked, and started spewing thick smoke as he increased the flames.

Soon, he was nothing more than a smoky, flaming speck falling through the sky. But he was not alone. Mako twisted in the air, smoke and sparks bellowing from his mouth as he followed his friend down through the sky. Then he twisted, and with powerful beats of his wings, drew a horizontal figure eight in the sky.

"Mako!" Zuko yelled as he extinguished his flames. His eyes start to stung and the ground was coming up fast. With a whistle, Mako cut through the air and caught Zuko carefully in his claws.

As one, they twisted about again, this time speeding off towards the oasis, leaving a large, smoky dragonfly sparkling in the red light above the city.

* * *

"I'm a legend now!" Zhao exclaimed, staring at the red moon in triumph. "The Fire Nation will for generations tell stories about the Great Zhao, who darkened to moon!"

"Sir!" One of the guards behind Zhao exclaimed, pointing towards the sky. Everyone turned and stared at the large glittering dragonfly.

"What's that?" Zhao snarled, but got no answer.

* * *

In the rear of the fleet, a man lowered his eyeglass.

"I really hope I made the right choice." He muttered to himself before turning towards his fellow Dragonflies.

"Attack."

* * *

The Water Tribe froze in horror as the moon turned red and their bending failed them. The Fire Nation troops cheered as they suddenly surged forward, confidence renewed. The men dressed in blue turned and fled, until something caught one's eye.

"What's that?!" The lone waterbender's cry echoed throughout the city, mingling with other similar exclamations.

A glittering smoky dragonfly hung suspended in the air over the city. For a moment, all movement froze on both sides of the battle, as the people wondered what it meant.

Then, the stopping of feat was heard, and fear gripped the Water Tribe's heart. Fire blasted through the air, but it never reached them. Turning to look at one another, they stopped running and turned back towards their enemies.

Only for their mouths to collectively drop open in shock. Fire benders were surging forward, but they were not attacking the Water Tribe warriors, but their fellow firebenders. Not knowing what to believe, they watched in awe as a single line of Fire Nation soldiers stepped forth between the two sides, turned, and stood shoulder to shoulder facing the people they had just attacked. Then, Water Tribe warriors, benders and nonbenders alike, stepped forward as well. Together as one, with a purple cloth tied around their waists and their helmets discarded, they planted their feet, narrowed their eyes and blocked the remaining Fire Nation soldiers' path.

"Tonight, the Dragons rise from the shadows." A single, older Fire Nation man spoke from the middle of the line, grey streaking his black hair.

"And you shall not pass us." A younger Water Tribe warrior declared.

Time seemed to freeze, no one dared to breathe, until fire balls danced through the sky. They crashed, one after another with everyone looking on in shock, into the fleet; as lone ship with a purple flag practically glowing in the red light.

Suddenly, the enchantment was broken as the cry of traitor sprang up from the Fire Nation ranks; and they surged forward, though with less excitement than before.

The Dragons had joined the war.

* * *

"It's nothing." Zhao hissed at the man who dared to interrupt his historic *cough*egotistical*cough* speech.

"They will call me Zhao the Conqueror, Zhao the Moon-Slayer, Zhao the Invincible!"

"I don't know, Zhao the Egotistical Backstabber sounds better to me." Zuko growled as he landed on the ground to the right of Zhao, Mako dropping into a crouch right behind him.

Appa landed only moments later on the opposite side of the pond, Aang, Katara, and Soka jumping down and landing in fighting stances, watching Zhao and Zuko was hard eyes.

"You!" Zhao exclaimed in shock. "You're alive?"

"Oh yes." Zuko growled, a smirk spreading across his lips. "That's the second time you've killed me Zhao, I'm afraid I won't let there be a third."

Aang and the others shared subtle but confused glances as Zhao's eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"What?" He asked, totally thrown for a loop. Soka kept looking between the giant dragonfly in the sky, Zuko, and Zhao wondering what exactly was going on.

"Oh, surely you remember." Zuko said, his smile vicious, slipping forward into a steadier, though rather relaxed, stance as tiny flames danced across his fists. "It wasn't that lot ago."

"What are you talking about, you traitor!?" Zhao snarled, trying to get a response from Zuko but the prince's smile just widened.

"Oh, isn't that a familiar sound. No one's called me that since you stuck a knife in my back." Zuko said conversationally. "Though I do suppose it was my fault. If I hadn't dismissed you for a spineless fool you never would've had the chance to stab me."

Zhao's face suddenly paled drastically, and the soldiers behind the admiral shared a look. What was going on?

"Th..that's not possible!" Zhao snarled, tightening the grip on the bag.

Zuko laughed, a hint of hysteria creeping in as his crooked grin taunted the man.

"Impossible? Nothing is impossible, especially when Spirits decide to meddle." The assassin-turned-prince informed the man, as Aang's eyes widened in shock. He shared a look of pure confusion with his friends, all of their stances relaxing subconsciously.

Seriously, what was going on?

"Though, I suppose I should thank you," Zuko admitted, abandoning his stance all together and shrugging, his muscles still tense. "If hadn't killed me Avatar Roku might've not given me the chance to be reincarnated with my memories; and then where would we be? I'd still be an angry, banished prince who just wants to go home, foolishly chasing my old friend. The Water Tribe would've suffered a lot more casualties, Mako probably never would've left his mountains, my Dragonflies would never've come out of the shadows, the Spirits never would've been able to have their revenge and you probably would've already killed that fish."

Everyone was staring at Zuko, even Iroh who had appeared sometime during his little monolog.

"Now," Zuko said, unsheathing his swords though still looking completely relaxed. "Are you going to release the Moon Spirit or are we going to have to do this the hard way?" He raised an eyebrow in question, his golden eyes suddenly hard. "Because I seriously doubt you are going to be able to get the drop on me this time."

Snarling, but unnerved enough where he didn't actually say anything, Zhao simply raised his fist and held it up to the bag.

Aang and his friends exchanged scared looks as Zuko sighed, "Hard way it is then."

"Zhao! Don't." Aang said finally deciding to speak up. Zuko paused, something glinting beneath his fingers as he collapsed his swords into one but not sheathing them. He was curious what he friend was going to say to try and reason with Zhao.

Besides, Aang would probably feel bad if he didn't try the pacifist approach, the little airbender that he was.

"Destroying the moon won't hurt just the Water Tribe, it will hurt everyone – including you. Without the moon everything would fall out of balance. You have no _idea_ what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world. Now, I don't know what your history with Zuko is, but please, let the Spirit go." Aang pleaded with the man, but Zhao just scowled.

"He is right, Zhao." Iroh said, finally speaking up, stepping forward and taking his place to Zhao's left, across from Zuko.

"General Iroh," Zhao said suddenly finding his voice. Zuko rolled his eyes after sharing a glance with Mako. "Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"

"I'm no traitor, Zhao." Iroh said boldly, lowering his hood and narrowing his eyes at the man. "I am loyal to the Crown Prince."

Zuko looked over at his friend and mentor. "But what if I'm a traitor?"

At that Iroh just shrugged, and more confusion filled the air.

"But yes, the point everyone is trying to make is that doing anything to that Spirit an incredibly bad idea." Zuko said, his voice dropping in a very dragon-like growl at the end. "So, why don't you be a good boy for once in your life and let the fish go. I'm getting terribly tired of the dramatics here, and I lived in the Fire Lord's palace constantly for 33 years and then every other six months for 34 years! I know dramatics!"

Everyone blinked at Zuko slowly, even Mako. Iroh was suddenly worried for his nephew's mental health when Zhao said,

"You're insane."

Zuko shrugged, "Probably, you try having 113 years of accumulative experiences in your brain along with two identities and not be a bit unstable."

"You were 'a bit unstable' when I was a child, Zuko. I believe you are past that at this point." Iroh stated, in light amusement.

Zuko shot his uncle a hurt look, "Well, at least I'm not an old man anymore!"

"Enough!" Zhao said, his hand burst into flames, only for him to scream in pain as a dagger suddenly speared his hand clean through. Something glinted in the air and a millisecond later, there was a ripping sound and the bag split open, dropping the Moon Spirit harmlessly back into the pond with a splash. The moon returned to normal, and the red light faded.

"Just try it Zhao," Zuko sneered, his eyes uncharacteristically dark, as if he was reading the thoughts going through Zhao's mind, another dagger twirling over his fingers. "Let's see how you measure up to the Fire Lord's personal assassin."

At this point, Aang and his friends were really just watching the show, with Soka spinning his finger near his temple every once in a while, usually after Zuko said something. They all relaxed though as the world returned to its correct coloring and the moon was restored. Mako snorted and Zuko chuckled, apparently the dragon had just insulted Zhao.

Just as everyone was relaxing, Zhao lashed out with his uninjured hand, and blasted the Moon Spirit with a stream of fire.

Everyone gasped in horror as all color drained from the pond, and then the moon, plunging everyone into darkness.

"That," Zuko growled, suddenly between Zhao and the guards, "was a very bad idea."

Zhao tried to run but Zuko was right there. The prince didn't even bother using his blades. He grabbed the larger man by the hair, planted his heel in the dirt and spun around, sending Zhao flying right towards the purple dragon. Mako roared, and flamed burst forth of his maw. Zhao tried to block it with a fire shield, but the dragon fire was much too powerful. As soon as Mako's flames cleared, Zuko was back at it, lifting the burnt man by the hair and sneering.

"I'm going to enjoy putting your head on a pike."

Iroh was not alone taking down the guards, as one of them had turned, removing their helmet as they aided Iroh. Almost instantly the other three guards were unconscious. It was hardly even a fight.

Zuko looked over towards Aang, to see him kneeling by the pond. Dread filled Zuko's stomach and almost instantly he was by his friend's side, pulling him away from the Ocean's stare.

"A spirit's revenge is a powerful thing." He muttered into his friend's ear. "I don't want you to regret doing something while channeling its rage. Your own anger is devastating enough… control it, don't let it control you."

Aang shot Zuko a dazed but thankful look as Iroh lifted the dead koi fish out of the water.

"There's no hope now." Yue said sadly and Zuko blinked, he had forgotten the princess was even there.

"There is always hope, M'Lady." The Dragonfly guard said, causing Katara, Soka, and Yue to send him disbelieving looks.

"He is right, though." Zuko said, pulling Aang to his feet and stepping forward. "Hope is what pushes us forward, allows us to achieve the impossible." He smiled thinly, "Though stubbornness does help as well."

Mako suddenly hummed, taking a step forward. Bringing neck around, he blew warm air on Yue, and then onto the white koi.

Iroh instantly understood, and Zuko wasn't far behind.

"You have been touched by the Moon Spirit." The general observed of the princess, and Zuko looked sadly at everyone, wandering over to where Zhao was lying on the grass. "Some of its live is in you."

"Yes," Yue said slowly, "You're right. It gave me life, maybe I can give it back."

Aang's eyes widened, but he still looked pretty dazed as he glanced between everyone. Mako shuffled over and wrapped himself around the young airbender.

The dragon nudged Soka with its snout as the boy's eyes widened and he appeared ready to cry.

"No!" Soka exclaimed, surging forward and grabbing the hand of his crush. "You don't have to do that."

"It's my duty Soka."

"I won't let you! Your father told me to protect you!" Soka pleaded, but Yue's mind was set.

She pulled away from his with a solemn, "I have to do this."

The Dragonfly stepped forward and put a comforting hand on Soka's shoulder as Mako nudged him once again with his snout.

Yue placed her hands on the koi, which instantly glowed brightly. Seconds barely passed before she collapsed backwards into Soka's arms.

"No!" The boy exclaimed, holding Yue's body close as he fought off tears. "She's gone."

* * *

Zuko knelt by the side of the pool, Zhao's left arm grasped tightly in his hand. The man was burnt, slightly cut up, and unconscious, but alive. As if sensing him, the Ocean Spirit swam over and hovered at the edge of the pool as Zuko nodded his head respectfully.

"He might've killed me twice, but he killed your life partner. The moon will be alright, but… this is my thank-you, for everything you all have done for me. We all deserve to have a bit of revenge, as long as innocents aren't hurt in the process." Zuko spoke softly, eyes never leaving the Ocean Spirit's, though his mind flashed to Aang. Without even a sound, he nudged Zhao forward, and the man slid silently into the pool. The water glowed blue just a briefest moment; at the same time the ghost of Yue, now the Moon Spirit, appeared a few yards away as Iroh slid the fish into the pond and moon returned to the sky. No one noticed the water change colors, or how the fish seemed to have nodded to Zuko before swimming over to where its newly healed partner was.

Zuko might've not been able to kill the man himself, but he supposed that the ocean Spirit probably get revenge enough for the both of them.

Besides, Zuko looked over at Aang, who was smiling, softly but sadly as Yue vanished completely, his future was looking much brighter. Maybe was time to leave some of that darkness behind him as well.

* * *

"Where's Zhao?" Katara asked Zuko as he wandered back over, and he almost jumped, realizing that it was the first ime the girl had talked since they had reunited with Aang.

"I don't know." Zuko said with a shrug, and it was the truth, even if Iroh didn't believe him, judging by the look the older man sent him.

Katara opened her mouth but Zuko simply walked passed her. Seeing his brother approaching, Mako uncurled from around Aang, leaving the young Avatar looking at Zuko in question.

"If you still want to do something about the fleet sitting outside of the gate, then do it. But don't do it out of anger, do it out of your need to protect these people. That way, you won't ever have to regret your actions."

Aang bit his lip uncertainly, glancing around at everyone before saying softly, "But I don't know how to control the Avatar state."

Zuko simply smiled softly. "You just helped reunite the ocean and the Moon Spirits, not to mention you are the Avatar. Now that the ocean isn't likely to use you to fuel his revenge, I'm sure that they'd be glad to help you."

Aang looked up at Zuko searchingly, before nodding slowly. Everyone stepped back as Aang walked towards the pool. He took a deep breath before closing his eyes and walking into the water. Almost instantly, the reunited koi fish glowed, and Aang entered the Avatar state.

Eyes glowing and voice echoing, Aang turned back towards the group and bowed slightly, eyes locked with Zuko.

"Thank you."

Zuko nodded back slightly, acknowledging the ocean and Moon Spirits thanks right before the pool swallowed up Aang. Almost instantly, Zuko jumped onto Mako's back and they took off into the air.

He was not going to miss this.

* * *

The Dragonflies managed to keep the Fire Nation from advancing any further while Water Tribe's bending was gone. Lives were lost, and they were pushed back a fair deal, but their interference made a difference, and the Water Tribe was not going to forget it any time soon.

A cheer went up when the moon reappeared in the sky and seemed to be staying there that time. It was then that the waterbenders rejoined the fight, pushing the firebenders further and further back. The Dragonflies and the Water Tribe worked together as one, and unlike the other firebenders, didn't freeze when the whole city started to glow. Well, the many waterways began to glow, but the light reflected off of the ice, making it appear like the whole city was glowing.

But it wasn't until the water around the front of the main wall surged up, depositing a glowing Avatar Aang on the highest standing point that the remaining enemy soldiers turned tail and ran back to their ships.

With a simple stance, Aang brought his arms slowly over head and raised the water level by the wall. Like a massive wave, all of the – now boarded – remaining ships were pulled to the top, before Aang made a simple shoving gesture and the few ships that were once part of a fleet were carried away safely by the wave. It was unlikely that they would be returning anytime soon.

Once the ships – besides the one Dragonfly controlled ship flying a purple flag – were out of sight, the light faded from Aang's eyes and tattoos. As soon as Aang's senses returned, Zuko and Mako appeared at his side, hovering lightly in the air.

"Come on," Zuko said, extending a hand to his friend. "I think that's enough excitement for one night, don't you say?"

Aang nodded tiredly and allowed Zuko to pull him up onto Mako in front of the older teenager. They flew off back towards the heart of the city, the cheers of the Water Tribe and Dragonflies echoing through the air.

* * *

"What would you like us to do, Amber Heir?" The same elder firebender who had spoken out against the Fire Nation asked.

Zuko shrugged tiredly, watching the sun rise and the citizens beginning to move out from their icy hiding places.

"I don't have any orders for you, and honestly, I don't think I'll have them very often. All of the Dragonflies who step forward and become Dragons… what you do now is up to you. If you want to help the Avatar end this war, than you can. If you want to fight in the Earth Kingdom, you can. If you want to fade back into the shadows, you can. If you want to take the fight to the Fire Nation, well, you can do that too.

"Last night wasn't just about us stepping out of the shadows, it was about us showing the world that we are stronger united, even those of us with fire in our veins. There's going to be a lot of stigma, hatred, and distrust of the Fire Nation because of the war. But maybe, just maybe, we can show the world that the Fire Nation is not a nation filled with evil, crazy psychopaths."

"Don't worry, Amber. They'll realize soon enough that you're the only crazy one here." The rebellious guard of Zhao's commented with a teasing grin, causing Zuko to roll his eyes.

"It must come with the title then." He mused, causing everyone to laugh.

"Alright, get some rest." Zuko said, waving them off. "I am going to go and sleep for the next week."

Small laughs echoed throughout the large group as they wandered off in separate directions. Those of the Water Tribe returned home, while the Fire Nation member's headed towards the docks, where their stolen ship awaited them.

"Well," Zuko muttered to himself. "That was interesting."

"That it was." Zuko jumped, seeing that the guard had lingered behind. A small smile danced across the man's lips, though his eyes were serious.

"I just wanted to say, Master Amber, I won't say a word."

Zuko raised an eyebrow at the man, slightly impressed that he had pieced it together, though he supposed that he hadn't really been subtle when dealing with Zhao.

The man simply smiled knowingly and walked away, leaving a bemused prince in his wake.

Zuko yawned.

"I really need to get some sleep."

* * *

Zuko waited two days for Aang to corner him like everyone else had. Iroh had been the first person to, of course. Then Yue's father had pinned him down and questioned him for five hours straight. That had been a lot of fun. Of course, Katara and Soka tag teamed him not long after that. Katara froze him to a ceiling for a good three hours after Soka punched him in the face. But after that they seemed to be fine with him, which is why he had stayed on the ceiling. He did deserve it after all.

Paku was actually the one who let him down, though it wasn't very carefully. Why, Zuko had no clue. But he had a feeling the man knew more than he let on.

Things were starting to look better, now. Mako was a hit with the kids, as was Appa, and twenty four hours after the moon was restored, the Northern Water Tribe officially became allies of the Dragons – as the revealed Dragonflies were being called. That had settled a lot of remaining tension in the city, though most people still couldn't believe that the dragonrider was the Fire Lord's son, or that members of their own tribe had allied with firebenders.

Honestly, Zuko couldn't even believe what had happened half of the time, and he lived it.

"Can we talk?"

Zuko blinked, turning to see Aang standing hesitantly in the icy doorway. Zuko nodded, giving the younger boy a small smile. He turned his gaze back out over the city, watching the sun reflect off the water. It seemed that he wasn't going to have to wait quite as long as he thought.

Though how exactly he was going to explain everything to his old friend was going to be a whole different matter. He wasn't the same person Aang had known, a month and a century ago. He'd lived through so much, done so many things… he worried that Aang wouldn't believe him.

"Who are you Zuko? Really? Why would the Spirits... why would _Roku_ … reincarnate you? When did you start remembering? How were you able to do all of this?"

Zuko glanced over at his confused friend out of the corner of his eye and sighed, leaning on the icy balcony railing.

"I think you missed a few questions there," Zuko teased half heartedly before shifting uneasily. "I told you earlier that my story is long and unbelieveable; and while it might be easier to start at the beginning I think I'm going to get the most unbeleiveable part of it out of the way first."

"Alright," Aang said slowly, nodding and giving Zuko an unreadable look.

Well, it was now or never.

"You said earlier that I remind you of Kuzon – well, I'm glad I can remind you of myself." Zuko's lips twitched as Aang's eyes widened in complete disbelief. "When Gyatzo showed up and told us you were missing, I swore to find you. I even ran away and ended up going back up to the top of that mountain. The reason I didn't die is most likely due to the fact that Mako was a very curious hatchling, the fact that we saved him as an egg might've helped but…"

Zuko was suddenly cut off as Aang threw himself around the older teen and hugged him as hard as he could.

"Kuzon?" Aang asked timidly, hardly believing what his old friend was telling him. Zuko chuckled, relaxing and wrapping his arms around the smaller boy.

"Hello, Aang."

They stayed like that for a while, each boy basking in the other's presence. Zuko could hardly believe it. Finally, after all of these years, after everything… he had finally found his friend.

Aang eventually pulled back, his eyes practically glowing with happiness and determination.

"Tell me everything," The young avatar demanded, and with a laugh Zuko complied.

No longer would either of them be alone, no longer would they have to fight the war by themselves. They would deal with the Fire Lord together, and they would deal with everything that followed together as well.

The world wouldn't know what hit them.

* * *

 **Happy NaNoWriMo everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed my twoshot, I definitely enjoyed writing it although it didn't turn out quite the way I expected. But when do stories ever?**

 **I might come back and expand this into a proper story and continue it through the rest of the series but that would probably be much later, after I finish my other series.**

 **I would really appreciate any feedback, and thank you all for reading!  
Cp **


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